Neil Simon play opens Palatine's Theatre Nebula season
The trials of war are most readily equated with soldiers. However, in Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers," the lives of two children are enormously impacted by battle.
"During World War II, the U.S. was up against a formidable foe. In this play, two boys find themselves in a similar position, having to stay with a loveless grandmother they don't know," said J. Spencer Greene, artistic director of Theatre Nebula.
As its 2008-2009 season opener, the award-winning, nonprofit Theatre Nebula will present the acclaimed play at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center in Palatine.
"Our first criteria in choosing a play is literary quality," said Greene. "I think this is Neil Simon's best play. It touches on a series of histories and shows how it shapes people."
Costumes and set are reflective of the 1940s. The story follows two boys coping with being dropped like a bomb into the lives of their father's family, an unknown and scary awakening for the children. The boys - played by Palatine High School sophomore Justin Brauer, in the role of Jay, and his brother, Adam Brauer, a seventh-grader at Sundling Junior High, in the role of Jay's brother, Arty - find relief though their Aunt Bella.
"All the boys know about their Aunt Bella is she is slow," said Greene. "She's 35, but acts like a kid. Jay says, 'She is closed for repairs.' But after the two get to know her they realize she is the one person in the group with the happiest outlook in life and she brings the most joy to them."
Jay and Arty's father, Eddie, is played by actor Tom Akouris of Arlington Heights. Akouris, a graduate of the Second City Conservatory, said there were some fun parts to playing the role.
"The easy part is using my New York accent," said Akouris. "I'm not from New York, but I love languages and accents. I am also a dialect coach, so this was fun for me."
However, there were also challenges for Akouris.
"The biggest challenge playing this particular role was the range and frequency of emotions that were necessary," he said. "Neil Simon as a playwright used a lot of emotions where you would go to laughing, to crying, to some heartwarming moment. There are a lot of twists and turns. My challenge is to be able to portray all these emotions with the speed they are happening."
Greene feels Akouris meets this and several other challenges throughout the production.
"Tom does a great job portraying the angst and difficulty a father has being separated from his children and leaving them with a person who is not kind and compassionate to children," said Greene.
Greene is confident audiences will love this production. He feels they will appreciate the change in Simon's repertoire.
"Most people know Neil Simon from comedies like, 'The Odd Couple,'" Greene said. "This play is a huge leap as far as literary quality, proven out by it winning the Pulitzer Prize."
Theatre Nebula's "Lost in Yonkers"
When: Fridays-Sundays, Oct. 3-19; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays (No performance Oct. 10)
Where: Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine
Tickets: $12 - $15
Call: (847) 202-5222 or visit palatineparks.org or theatrenebula.org