Lost in Yonkers -- by Neil Simon (1991)

Description

In order to pay back financial debts from his wife's death, Eddie leaves to collect scrap metal during WWII. He leaves his two boys, Jay and Arty, with his mother. Jay and Arty are terrified to live under Grandma Kurnitz's roof, for she is notoriously cruel. Bella, Eddie's sister, lives with them, too, which provides continuous comedy. Louie, Eddie's brother, joins the household at the end of Act 1. Louie intrigues the boys: is he a gangster or a businessman? Bella yearns for love and decides she must marry a movie theater usher with whom she finds several similarities. Her stubbornness results in a shocking showdown in the penultimate scene of the play. The play addresses topics such as love, belonging, and communication.

The play is heralded as Neil Simon's most acclaimed play: It won 4 Tony Awards.

Characters
Jay (15.5-year old son of Eddie)
Arty (13.5-year old son of Eddie)
Eddie (son of G-ma Kurnitz, "weaker" than Louie, widower)
Bella (daughter of G-ma Kurnitz, stubborn, mentally unstable)
Grandma Kurnitz (matriarch of family, German, strict)
Louie (son of G-ma Kurnitz, suspicious figure)
Gert (daughter of G-ma Kurnitz)

Candid Reaction

• A little heavy on exposition to start
• I thought they were kidding when they said Bella missed a year of school because she couldn't find it . . . turns out . . . she really is an aloof wanderer . . .
• The development of suspicion as a common conflict is expert
• Some of these one-liners are so, to quote the kids today, "savage."
• All of these people don't want to be around each other and these poor kids are put in the middle of everything. Is this some commentary on youth during wartime?
• Simon creates parallels and foils smoothly
• Some of this dialogue is so melodramatic -- does this reflect reality or is it for humor? 
• How ironic for Eddie to command his sons to do a bunch of things before they speak with their grandmother and then claim "That's my boys" (26). No, those aren't your boys. Those are who you  want your boys to be. No surprise when he unleashes on them a few pages later for being themselves . . . 
• One of the stage directions indicates that Grandmother Kurnitz not look at anyone, "least of all the boys" (31). How would you convey that as an actor? What does that even mean?
• Bella can pack a punch, huh?
• All this discussion on movies reminds me of The Glass Menagerie. It's like Bella is the combination of Laura and Tom. 
• It is remarkable to me how a line as simple as, "What a great guess" can exemplify a humor so well. The sarcastic jab is so dry and effective. How did Simon create this moment?
• I wonder if these voice-overs are prerecorded or live? How do different plays approach this question?
• All the adults present private deals with the children. 
• Not gonna lie-- that was a dud of an end of Act. 
• Arty tells Grandma, "I would taste [your soup] if I didn't have a tongue" (69). Is this humorous remark an example of hyperbole? How would you classify this sentence?
• Louie/Eddie = Arty/Jay
• These characters reveal their anger in large bursts. Some times these instances feel natural, some times they do not. 
• Woman of Steel. Grandma Kurnitz
• Getting strong Glass Menagerie parallels with this movie theater romance. 
• Bella, ya gotta admit that you yelling at your mom saying that you will be nothing like her is kinda ironic -- we don't see your warm-fuzzy heart right now. In fact, you sound an awful lot like your mom . . . 
• Okay. Once again, strong Glass Menagerie vibes. Bella addresses the word "crazy" like Laura acknowledges the word "crippled." Both of their mothers deny these descriptors, but the daughters recognize their importance. 
• BELLA WENT OFF!
• Did she really just do that? 
• Ahh, Simon, what a way to callback to that moving quote from Act One . . . 
• Some of this dialogue just seems hokey. 
• Hmmm. The ending has a lot going on. Not sure how to feel.      

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning

1. Pick a Theory!

The Introduction to Literature course I took as a freshman in college opened my eyes to the various lenses through which literature can be critiqued: feminist, Freudian/psychological, deconstructivist, sociopolitical, etc. An issue students might face when interpreting a text is to believe only one lens is valid. All lenses may provide insights, but some lenses might glean clearer or more illuminating results. Lost in Yonkers could be read under several lenses with equal clarity, I believe. For this reason, I believe the play is exceptional. 

2. Character Parallelism/Foils  

Although the parallels and foils are not subtle, they provide the reader with rich interpretive material.

Classroom Implications

• I would use this in 10th grade and above. 
• It could be interesting to give different groups a lens through which to read the play and for the students to present each other with the outcomes they found. 
• It would be wonderful to dissect foils.

Personal Takeaway

There are several lenses to choose from when interpreting a text--it is important to recognize your individual go-to lens so that you can avoid merely interpreting texts a certain way always (if that makes sense).

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 6.75
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic (1.5)	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity (1)	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points	Devices somewhat enhance story  (1.5)	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping! (1.75)	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically