THE THEATRE GROUP AT SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE
announces auditions for
Lost in Yonkers
A comic drama by Neil Simon
Directed by Jonathan Fox
Auditions: Wednesday, June 5, 2024 5:30-9:30 pm by appointment
Jurkowitz Theatre, SBCC West Campus
(or by video submission by June 7 at 11pm)
Callbacks: Saturday, June 15, 2024 by appointment, beginning at 1pm
Rehearsals begin: Tuesday, August 27
Performances: October 9 – October 26, 2024, Garvin Theatre
Set in Yonkers, New York in 1942, LOST IN YONKERS is arguably Neil Simon’s deepest and most heartfelt play, mixing humor with pathos. Centering around a middle-class Jewish family, it tells the story of two boys who must spend a year with their iron-handed, austere grandmother, intellectually disabled loveable aunt, and gangster uncle. Unless specifically designated below, slight NY accents are appropriate – but nothing too broad. All actors must have good comic timing and sensibility.
Characters:
ARTHUR (ARTY), male, 14-17, character is just entering teenage years so actor needs to read about 13-14. A smart boy with a sharp sense of humor, he cracks jokes as a coping mechanism, which can get him into trouble. More into sports than school, he is very likeable and sympathetic, and we see him mature through the course of the play.
JAY, male, 15-20, Arty’s older brother, just about to turn 16, so actor needs to read that age. Jay is smart, good at school, responsible, but headstrong. He has a sense of humor, but is more tactful than Arty. With his father gone away for work, he tries to take on the responsibilities of being a man.
EDDIE, male, late 30s to early 40s, Arty and Jay’s father. A loving father to his sons and, much to the disapproval of his mother and brother, he is sensitive, warm, and unable to hide his emotions and tears. After his wife died of cancer and incurring a huge debt to pay for her care, he is now feeling the heat from loan sharks. With this huge weight on his shoulders, he makes the painful decision to leave his sons to find work.
BELLA, female, mid-30s, although she looks a little older than her age. She is neat, sweet, pretty, and has great heart. She is emotionally arrested, yet warm and congenial. When speaking, she often makes no logical sense. Despite living under the thumb of her mother, she will sometimes exhibit great strength. Although she has the mind of a child, she dreams of having a family of her own one day.
GRANDMA, female, late 60s – 70s, Jay and Arty’s grandmother. She is an imposing figure, strong-willed with a distinct German accent. She would command attention in a crowd. She carries a cane and walks with a slight dragging of one foot. She is no-nonsense and authoritarian, despises weakness, but at one point has a private moment of great sorrow that ultimately lets the audience feel compassion for her.
LOUIE, male, 30s, Jay and Arty’s uncle. A smooth operator who may be a bagman for the mob, he is given to wearing double-breasted suits, loud ties, and a fedora hat. He is charismatic with street-smarts, a restless energy, and a toughness he learned from his mother. Jay starts to look up to him as a role model.
GERT, female, 30s, Jay and Arty’s aunt and Bella’s sister. She is a nervous wreck around her mother, which has led to a habit of sucking in her breath in the middle of a sentence so that the words go to a higher pitch.
CONTACT Christina Frank at
cmfrank1@pipeline.sbcc.edu to make an appointment. For more information, to download sides and audition form or to upload a video auditions go to www.theatregroupsbcc.com/auditions.
Videos
