Erin Stage Company: On Stage

New York City, 1942 …

Eddie, a widower, is panic stricken when he has to persuade iron-clad Grandma Kurnitz to take in his two teenage sons Jay and Artie so he can travel to a new Defense job to earn money for his family. Add to this volatile mix Aunt Bella, slightly simple in the head, and Uncle Louie, a small-time gangster. The varied characters of Lost in Yonkers exhibit various forms of survival techniques: Uncle Louie's "moxie," the boys' refuge in a mixture of one-liners and late-night forays to the candy store for ice cream, and Bella's constant search for unconditional love and acceptance. Grandma Kurnitz, however, is made of steel, born out of a resolve to survive and live through the pain of survival. It is precisely this conflict that brings humor to the play, as each member of the family struggles to survive old wounds from their childhood in Yonkers.

At the core of it, Lost in Yonkers is about finding one's way through the tangled webs of familial relationships and attempting to survive life without losing the sense of self.

Although it is set during World War II—a setting that plays an important part in the narrative—Simon published the play in 1991 as America was entering the first Gulf War in the Middle East. As a result, the play's main themes—including survival, the importance of one's family, and acceptance—also seem timely, since these themes inevitably arise during any war or other military conflict, when death and other tragedies are likely. Although the play is technically labeled a comedy, it is in fact a hybrid. Critics note both the deep levels of pain that Simon explores in his characters and the humorous dialogue from certain characters, which ultimately helps the play to strike a balance between tragedy and comedy.

The production is directed by Steve Fitchpatrick and features several of Knoxville’s finest local actors.

Lost in Yonkers was the Winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

"The best play Simon ever wrote." — New York Post

Performance Schedule