Neil Simon’s Dynamic LOST IN YONKERS - LATTE Theater Shines on Stage!

Everyone in Yonkers, New York, is afraid of Grandma Kurnitz – and that goes for her grown kids and grandsons, Arty and Jay, too! After the boys’ mother dies of cancer and their father, Eddie, having gone into debt with a loan shark, reluctantly must leave his boys with Grandma. Yonkers is a whole new world. A world with mobster Uncle Louie, sweet wacky Aunt Bella, and blurting Aunt Gert… and Grandma’s candy store right below their apartment, which Grandma rules with an iron fist. These “lost boys” in this lost family learn about life, and sacrifice, and lean into humor amidst the heartbreak of intergenerational trauma, finally finding who they are as well as who they want to be.

THE CAST

ARTY – ISIDORA (ISI) KOWALCHUK (15 of Downers Grove)

JAY – JODIE VELEZ (University of Illinois, of Downers Grove)

EDDIE – TOMAS KOWALCHUK (College of DuPage, from Downers Grove

BELLA – JAMIE VELEZ (18 of Downers Grove)

GRANDMA KURITZ - ISLA BAKER (15 of Downers Grove)

LOUIE – JIMMY KNAPP (College of DuPage, of Warrenville)

GERT – ASHLEY BELL (Columbia College, of Chicago)

DIRECTOR – FELICIA PFLUGER (of Brookfield)

“LOST IN YONKERS has long been on my directing ‘bucket list’,” grins LATTE Director and Founder, Felicia Pfluger, “Our LATTE cast fell in love with its humor, emotional rawness and vulnerability… and the realness of family that we can all relate to.” “True. The tenderness, the intensity, and authentic emotion of all the characters will shock the audience,” shares Isla Baker (14 of Downers Grove), who plays Grandma.

“At the end of the day, we may not always 'like' family, but we always 'love' them… and when things are at their worst, family is where we can be at our best,” Felicia gently states. Jodie Velez (University of Illinois, Downers Grove), who plays Jay, excitedly shares, “There is so much life written into every moment. Neil Simon is famous for jokes hidden in heavy scenes, yet he has also written very complex and real characters.”

WHAT'S GOING TO SURPRISE PEOPLE?

“Every character has a different chaos and beauty to them,” Isla reflects. “There are a lot of themes in LOST IN YONKERS… and it has been true magic bringing them to life on stage,” Felicia smiles. “Yes. Each character has their own story with their own character arc. The amount of depth each character has is something that I just wasn’t anticipating,” Jodie shares. Isi Kowalchuck (15 of Downers Grove), who plays the feisty role of Arty, nods, “YONKERS has both comedy and tragedy in it. I’m most excited to tell a story that could positively impact someone. Jodie adds, “Whether that be a laugh, a moment of pondering, or a revelation, I’m excited to see what people think.”

Jimmy (College of Du Page from Warrenville), who plays Louie, agrees, “YONKERS brings a new view of family and a new appreciation for life!” “It is a chance to reflect on family relationships. Is there something that needs to be changed in your family dynamic?” Ashley (Columbia College of Chicago) insightfully states. Isi“ jumps in, “People will be surprised by the amount of emotion that goes on throughout the entire show, because there is something for everyone to love!” as Tomas laughs, “I’m honestly so stoked to be surrounded by so much talent. I’m most excited to see the audience reactions”.

“I hope the core family conflict will resonate with audiences and see that hope is still found even in the darkest places”, Jamie (18 of Downers Grove) tenderly shares. Jodie nods, “Every age demographic will find something impactful. Teenagers and young adults may find it entertaining and relatable, while older adults may view it as a healing experience. As intergenerational trauma reactions are a large facet of the play, the characters within it can easily relate to them.”

“And definitely how each character grows and will continue to heal. I hope the audience can connect with the characters and be immersed in the show's family drama and emotional intensity, especially with Neil Simon’s side of humor.” Isla adds.

WHAT SORT OF PERSON WILL LOVE THIS SHOW?

“From how moving and touching this story is, I would say EVERYONE! Everyone has a family, so despite it being dysfunctional, many people can resonate with a crazy family,” Jamie smiles. “Every age demographic will find something impactful. Teenagers and young adults may find it entertaining and relatable, while older adults may view it as a healing experience,” Jodie adds.

“And anyone who loves the classics and Neil Simon! YONKERS has more of a serious, dire feeling. The events are a lot heavier, and yet the comedy stands out among the bleakness,” Jimmy adds as Tomas counters, “The amount of jokes. Some of them still get me when I hear them! Also, the show has had me thinking about family, and really how deep can/should those familial bonds be, and why?”

Jamie reflects, “Yonkers is a misery-comedy sandwich”. Later, when the cast was asked which it was more: comedy or misery, they all broke into laughter, sharing, “It depends on the scene,” “Heck, it depends on the moment.” And this bittersweet, misery-comedy sandwich is why this show has such profound emotional depth.”

WHAT"S CHALLENGING ABOUT BRINGING THIS SCRIPT TO LIFE?

“Neil Simon’s dynamic and fleshed-out characters were somewhat tricky to characterize. His superb writing allowed for the characters to have a wide range of emotions, but this aspect was tricky.” Jamie agrees, “The challenge is bringing out the complex characters that are all so different from each other, including their vulnerabilities.” Isla shares. “Yes!” Jimmy agrees, “The characters change so quickly and drastically even in a sentence that it takes a lot of emotional bandwidth to keep the flow of the character going.” Isla then shares, “Making the character of Grandma come alive while honoring her emotional nuances and vulnerability, and more effort than I expected.”

“For me personally?” Isi questions, “The challenge in bringing the script to life is how Arty is a young boy, but also has so much pressure on him. The audience may think about how they would feel in the boy’s situation”, “Yes! While playing Louie is fun, but it also is a challenge with growing the physicality, since he is a much bigger “personality” than most people. He has “moxie”. He is outgoing, bold, tough, flamboyant, and ... likable,” Jimmy adds.

Jodie pivots, “The most challenging part of bringing the play to life is also what makes Neal Simon’s work the most iconic: the emotions. Each character has internal and external conflict, which comes with constant influxes of both positive and negative emotions, which makes for a difficult balancing act.” Jimmy jumps in, “The challenge for the cast? Trying to make the family cohesive with how we speak, move, and breathe. Plus, the characters change so quickly and drastically even in a sentence that it takes a lot of emotional bandwidth to keep the flow going.”

IS THE PLAY A COMING-OF-AGE STORY?,

Felicia reflects, “While YONKERS chronicles a coming-of-age story for the boys, it is also an unlikely one for Aunt Bella, as she finds new ways to conquer limitations, and Eddie, as he learns to lean into love and forgiveness, rather than fear. In fact, despite their best —or worst—efforts, all the characters grow in profound ways in Yonkers as they navigate new and old hardships. They lean into the enduring power of familial love, even in the face of adversity”. Isla adds, “Yet, all the characters are growing throughout the show… even Grandma. You are never too old to grow!”

HOW DID THE CAST WORK TO BUILD TENSION THAT IS CENTRAL TO THE PLAY?

“The family has this back-and-forth banter, where at least two of them are always fighting, arguing over even the smallest things. Being ‘in the same room’ as them can feel uncomfortable because it feels so personal. Tomas (College of Du Page from Downers Grove) reflects. Jamie jumps in, “The character relationships and family hierarchy were crucial to creating tension. Each character has a previous story, so by intentionally figuring out how each character would perceive and express themselves with one another, it allows the Kurnitz family to feel like a family you could encounter and interact with in real life.

Ashley adds, “It was very helpful to discuss relationships and the back stories among all the siblings. That created a good deal of tension without even having to think about anything else. Jimmy agrees, “Talking through the context, scenario, and bringing that to the ‘world building’ that we created to the stage.” “The whole cast is very sweet people, and as we became closer, we were able to build on our emotions. We took healthier risks together as our comfort levels increased.” Jodie shared. Isla added, “And trying a scene for ‘different reactions’ and with different emotions allowed us to do something unexpected – and grow the scene with our stage partners.”

WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR AUDIENCE WILL FEEL?

Jimmy gingerly starts, “In the midst of pain, there is forgiveness. Forgiveness of others and forgiveness of self are large parts of many of the show's personal arcs, and leaving the show open-ended gives the audience the opportunity to make their own ending.” Isla nods, “I feel a lot of people can relate to having a family that loves each other… but cannot function well together. This chaos is apparent – so is the comedy and the love.”

Jamie adds, “Bella is a very freeing role for me. However, she has allowed me to view the world and my emotions in a new light that I otherwise might not have seen. Bella is a disabled woman, but that’s not her only defining trait. She’s a dreamer, a hopeless romantic, and by reading her with the dimension Neil Simon intended, it allows the audience to both sympathize with her and see parts of themselves in her.”

Jodie realized, “I hope that audiences can see that there is still hope and love in the midst of chaos and trauma. So many character decisions are made because of trauma responses, and it negatively impacts the people around them. However, there is also a weaving of hope nestled within the play that I hope audience members are able to feel with our performance. It’s never too late to change, and it’s not too late to build better connections.”

HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR THIS ROLE?

Tomas laughs, “Since siring my own children was out of the question for now, I put myself in the Dad's shoes. If I were completely broke and only one place to turn to help those around me, I think I would be a wreck.”

Jodie dives in, “We had a wonderful gentleman, Michael Levins, come to talk about what it was like to grow up as a Jewish person in the 1940s. Oftentimes, when you’re already comfortable acting as your character, the little details of their life before the play can get lost. Having someone who not only had ties to what these characters may have gone through helped to further flesh out some of the characters.”

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE SHOW?

“I hope the core family conflict will resonate with audiences and see that, despite the generational trauma, hope is still found even in the darkest of places.” Jamie nods. Jodie adds, “ I hope they will come to appreciate their family, even if disagreements and overall tension. Whether it be the story or the characters, many aspects of the play will resonate with audience members because of how intrinsically important the family is to the plot. Isi smiles, “And that the audience leaves with a new perspective.

ARE THERE ANY MOMENTS IN THE PLAY THAT RESONATE WITH YOU PERSONALLY?

“Genuinely, the impact of every character’s journey is profound, as they are so relatable and the emotions can be bittersweet and raw,” Isla starts. ,“I think that the essence of the play, how the characters were crafted and portrayed, felt familiar to me in an abstract sense, like I’ve seen bits and pieces in people I’ve met before. The concepts of grief and hope were stand-out aspects of this production, and it just goes to show that in every hardship, hope will be there on the other side to cheer us on." Jodie shyly starts, then gushes on.

"There are a lot of moments that resonate with me, particularly the fights each character has with one another. I think anyone could watch this play and relate to one of the characters. They all respond and react to trauma in so many different ways that it’s difficult not to see yourself in at least a facet of one of the characters. My castmates, Isla, Tomas, and Jamie, are incredible at keeping audiences entertained throughout their monologues, specifically when they are fighting with one another on stage. Isla is especially skilled at crafting a hardened woman laden with guilt and anger, and it makes Tomas’s and Jamie’s moments of finally expressing their hurt particularly impactful."

"Finding your voice when fighting with someone you have feared for years is incredibly difficult to do for many people, and each actor does a wonderful job at creating a believable and powerful moment for their character,” Jodie finishes. Isla smiles at the compliment, “Playing Grandma taught me people are a lot more complex than you might think. What we see on the surface barely hints at all the layers that are waiting to be shared inside.”

Ashley reflects, “Yes! I love watching the very last scene. The interaction with Bella and Grandma was so moving. It’s a coming-of-age moment for Bella, and a slight change of heart for Grandma. It adds a new sense of depth and hope to their relationship.” Tomas jumps in, “Absolutely. I’m most excited to see the audience reaction to Bella and her Mom’s scene near the end, their big fight.”

WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF BRINGING YOUR CHARACTER TO LIFE?

“For Bella, it was mainly creating a disabled character with heightened emotions without caricaturing or infantilizing her. I wanted to make sure that she read as a disabled woman, not a child. Although her mannerisms align more with someone younger, Bella deserved a high level of respect and understanding because such disabilities are still stigmatized to this day. So, if I am able to positively portray Bella and her disability so that at least one disabled person can resonate with her, then I know that I did her and her character justice.”, Jamie says protectively.

“Finding Gert’s physicality was definitely a challenge. I have to work to reduce tension and relax different muscles to reflect her stress since Gert is tense, especially when she comes back home. It’s giving me more control and awareness of my body.” Ashley smiles.

Jodie laughs, “As Jay? Acting like a boy. I had to hold myself in a completely different way, and had to put my mind in a more emotional place. This was often difficult because of the many emotional scenes in the play, so I had to be mindful.”

HOW DOES THIS PLAY RELATE TO SOCIETY TODAY?

“It resonates with both families today and back then. Dysfunctional and/or messy families are common, and I believe that even if the experiences aren’t exact, fiction,” Jamie continues, “they mirror reality, and by being able to recognize and find comfort through the relatable experiences said character goes through.” Tomas ponders, “I think family is a timeless issue. I think familial bonds (and lack thereof) are a tale as old as time, and people ultimately want to be close to family. Even if it is bad,”

“It is timeless and told even to this day… it just looks slightly different today.” Jimmy nods as Jodie shares, “As intergenerational trauma reactions are a large facet of the play, the characters within it can be related to very easily. Ashey ponders, “And now, people are questioning harsh parenting and how it affects children well into their adulthood, and many grown children are beginning to break the cycle.”

“Neil Simon wrote about very personal and relatable things, and, as often said, art captures reality. While it may be set in the 1940s, the characters within the play have a lot to teach audience members about compassion, understanding, forgiveness, and healing. We have chosen to end this play on a high note, with the hope of change and love at the center.”, Jodie says with pride.

WHAT ABOUT THE WORLD HAVE YOU LEARNED AS A RESULT OF ACTING IN THIS PLAY?

“Lost in Yonkers is a play about family, and how trauma can consume you if you’re not careful. There are so many intricate details of family, grief, loss, and healing within each part of the show, which can then open the door of reflection. Sometimes, coping mechanisms are only a bandage for a large wound. It will not fix the injury, but it can stop the bleeding. However, if you don’t know why it’s bleeding, or you don’t care to wait until the wound is healed to pull the bandage off, it will only cause you to continue to use the same ineffective coping mechanisms. These coping mechanisms can negatively impact the people around you, until they have their own wounds, they don’t know how to treat. Lost in Yonkers touches on what type of impact trauma can have on a family, while making way for a potentially new way of life. Your trauma doesn’t define you, some people just need a kind hand to grab.” Jodie shares.

WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE THINK ABOUT ON THE DRIVE HOME?

Jimmy opens up first, “Just how much of an emotional rollercoaster the play can be. It’s chock-full of heart, just as it’s full of navigating hard feelings. There are difficult moments in the show that can be powerful to experience, which are then interwoven with humor and love.” “A newfound appreciation of family will definitely be there! I think they will reflect on themselves and put themselves in the characters' shoes in the story's context.” Isla adds.

Jodie chuckles, “They will be surprised with how much life is written into every scene. LOST IN YONKERS is famous for jokes hidden in heavy scenes, yet Neil Simon has also written very complex and real characters.” “There will be huge takeaways, perspectives, and opinions, but the main theme audiences will remember is the concept of family, comedy, trauma, and how that trauma relates to family.” Jamie grins. Felicia nods, “YONKERS tells about the scars a family suffers, and the unexpected healing power of love.... We hope you come to support the Arts… and enjoy the show!”

SHOWTIMES:

7 PM Friday, May 2nd

2 PM & 7 PM Saturday, May 3rd

2 PM, Sunday, May 4th

PLYMOUTH PLACE AUDITORIUM

315 N LaGrange Road, La Grange Park

Show run time 2 Hours plus 10-minute Intermission

Doors open 30 minutes pre-curtain

TICKETS

$5 - $15

(708) 655-0989

https://www.lattetheater.com/tickets/

Grab your tickets now! Show Dates May 2nd - 4th.