Sand Lake Center For The Arts Announces Auditions For “Lost In Yonkers”

AUDITION ANNOUNCMENT
Lost In Yonkers
By Neil Simon
Directed By Maureen Baillargeon Aumand

AUDITION DATES: November 13-14, 2023
SIGN IN: 6:30 p.m.. Auditions begin at 7 p.m.
AUDITION LOCATION: Sand Lake Center for the Arts. 2880 NY 43, Averill Park NY 12018

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. All auditioners should bring a list of conflicts from Dec 2023-Feb 10, 2024, to the auditions.

Production Dates: Performances over two weekends run From Friday, Feb. 16 through Sunday, Feb. 25 with Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Tech Week: Feb. 11-15 (No Conflicts)

“Lost In Yonkers” is a coming-of-age story set In Yonkers, New York. Simon’s TONY And Pulitzer Prize-Winning play centers around two brothers, Arty And Jay, who live with their grandmother and their Aunt Bella, while their father travels, desperately trying to scrape enough money together while working as a salesman to pay off his debts to a loan shark, and their mother has died of Cancer. Over the course of the play, the young boys learn lessons about love, responsibility and the importance of family that will carry them into adulthood.

Available Roles:
GRANDMA KURNITZ: A seemingly embittered, harsh and cold tyrant of a matriarch. She migrated with her children from Germany in the 30’s. She runs a “kandy” shop in Yonkers below her apartment. She runs it iron-fisted, and eagle eyed – much like she raised her kids.
Actor must be able to play a woman in her 70’s;
a lingering German accent will be required as well as the use of a cane to compensate for an observable limp.

JAY KURNITZ: The elder of two teenage brothers left with great misgivings in the care of their estranged Grandma. Actor must be able to deliver quick one liners and witty observations. He is, along with his brother, the source of the play’s humor. Actor must be able to play a believable 15- 17-year-old.

ARTY KURNITZ: The younger of two teenage brothers who are left with their forbidding Grandma.
Arty is honest and direct; in spite of being afraid of Grandma, he tells it like it is. Like his brother he is quick witted; the actor must be good at bantered observations. Actor must be able to play a believable 12-14-year-old

Arty and Jay provide much of the play’s laughs! They are teenage boy “Wise Guys” but never obnoxiously so.

EDDIE KURNITZ: A grief struck widower who is Arty and Jay’s Dad and one of Grandma’s sons.
Even as an adult he still has a deep fear of and anxiety around Grandma. He has managed to build a life though away from her marked by his kind of strength. Financial desperation has forced him to leave his two beloved sons in Yonkers in the care of the tyrant. Actor should be able to play a believable late 30’s to late 40’s.

BELLA KURNITZ: The boys’ Aunt and Eddie’s younger sister.
She is a woman who struggles with developmental challenges that have left her prone to childish emotional swings and periodic daft ness but also a zest and enthusiasm for life and a loving heart.**
She also lives with Grandma, is subservient even as her spirit longs to break free
Actor must be able to play 30’s, believably
**Actor must be able to generate laughter but in sympathy with her character, in no way in mocking of her character.

LOUIE KURNITZ: The boys’ uncle, Grandma’s eldest child, Eddie’s brother
Is a low level gangster, thug,” henchman” who is always on the run. He has learned well from his mother that his heart must be made of steel to survive though he has a soft spot for his family, especially Bella. Actor must be able to play late 30’s to mid 40’s
Actor must be able to capture a little more street and “wise guy” but won’t be played as a caricature.

GERT KURNITZ: Appears physically only in the second act. She is the youngest of the KURNITZ siblings.
She has managed to live independently of Grandma, but her mother’s tyranny has scarred her deeply. She is full of sincerity. Actor will be asked to capture a peculiar speech pattern which has evolved out of a childhood spent in fear. Actor must be believable as a 30-something-year-old woman.

Production director: Maureen Baillargeon Aumand aumandmaureen@gmail.com (Please reach out to Maureen with any questions). SLCA-CTP can be reached at (518) 674-2007