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Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon: Theatre Sarnia

by Brian Hay

Andrea Hughes turned in a great performance. There's no doubt about that.

That doesn't mean her work is the only strong point in the production. Most of the performers in the piece had to adopt entirely new personas to fit the roles they were given. Their accents had to be put on. Their diction (and in some cases grammatical sensibilities) had to be altered. The physical mannerisms they used had to be modified to suit the person they'd become. And they had to hold the characteristics of those personas through considerable amounts of time on stage. That's a tall order but they filled it well.

Rhonda Melanson had to slip between speaking calmly and developing a whooping choking noise when she spoke for. She also had to make it seem to come on unpredictably. As well, she had to portray the affliction in varying degrees of severity. She did it pretty convincingly. Ralph D'Alessandro adopted the clipped manner reminiscent of the stereotype of the Bronx based hood of the '40's. He seemed to overdo it slightly at first but after that backed off a bit and slipped comfortably into the character. His timing and delivery were strong throughout. Elizabeth Walton embraced the manner associated with an immigrant German Jew beautifully. Her command of the accent and the diction was flawless. She also projected the physical pain the character was supposed to be in well. There were a few points where she seemed to struggle with her lines. Apart from those instances her performance was excellent.

The rest of the cast were strong. Frank Sommise didn't adopt an accent or any physical traits that would make him stand out in a crowd but he had to project strong emotion a few times. Those moments were heartfelt and moving. The two young players cast as his sons played their roles straight but both needed good delivery for both their comic and serious moments. Michael D'Alessandro was the most comfortable with his lines and his character. His timing was good and his projection was strong. He also looked quite at ease when his character had little or nothing to do. Bradley Tye wasn't always at ease on stage, particularly when his part called for him to be 'there' without being part of the action. He was also a bit late with his delivery. But, of the players on the stage, he's the one with the least experience. Those points are just part of the learning curve. When he was good, he was really good. His intensity was strong. He projected his character and his personal struggles well. And he delivered most of his one-liners extremely well.

The work of Andrea Hughes was fabulous from start to finish. She never lost any facet of her character for an instant. She portrayed a myriad of different emotions flawlessly. She portrayed strength and vulnerability with flawless ease. She rounded the corners between intellect and ditziness on dimes. She portrayed the physical awkwardness of the woman as if born to it. Many of the things she said and did seemed to come from nowhere. She rose to the most moving moments beautifully and controlled the funniest moments effortlessly. She was fantastic.

The production itself was strong. The sense of the period the play is set in was captured well. The transition between scenes was smooth. The flow of the action was virtually seamless. The set was elaborate and served as the platform for the entire production. The lighting was bright and vivid but never overpowering. The scenes that were set in semi-darkness tied the rest of the action together well. They also enhanced the underlying atmosphere inherent in the situation that was being portrayed. Most of this was the work of Jim Poore and Frank Sommise. They handled the Producing, Directing and Set Design between them. Jim Poore designed the Lighting. The play itself (by Neil Simon) was bittersweet, both happy and sad, but always very human. The second act was stronger than the first but it was well worth waiting for. The characters were all multi-faceted. They all had strengths and failings. Most had their eccentricities. The cast and crew of Sarnia Theatre took all of this and carried it off convincingly.

'Lost in Yonkers' is a strong production. It's well worth a look.

Theatre Sarnia's production of 'Lost in Yonkers' by Neil Simon runs at The Imperial Theatre from Friday April 17, 2009 through to Sunday April 19, 2009 and again from Wednesday April 22, 2009 through to Saturday April 25, 2009. This review pertains to the performance that ran on Saturday April 18, 2009.