Lost in Yonkers

I’ve always heard that with actors there is “no small role”. I never quite understood that saying til now. Earlier this year I was cast as Aunt Gert in “Lost in Yonkers”, a play by Neil Simon. I honestly thought, small role….. Easy! I was wrong. Dead wrong. This role has been one of my hardest to date.

Do me a favor….. Repeat this line – ” Louie, can’t you just sit down for a few minutes until Bella tells us what it is she want to talk to us about.”
Now.. Repeat it again except after “Bella tells us” say the rest of that line sucking in…. Seriously try it!  Not so easy is it? Now do it with a New York accent…..

So that’s my character. Poor woman can’t breathe or talk right.

This was one of those plays I put my heart into. Like I said before, there is no small role.

Photo by: Della Vodenicker

I want to tell you about the other characters and the people who portrayed them….

The boys.. Jay and Arty. (Eddie’s sons)
Jay played by Rowan. Rowan was born to be on stage. This young man has talent, he’s amazing. He’s not just an actor.. He sings, he dances… He does it all! The kid even spins fire. I have watched him grow into such a beautiful soul.
Arty is played by Levi. Love this kid! I can’t explain how he just takes the audience into his hands, I see a fabulous future on stage with this little guy!

Photo by: Cassondra Greer

Then we have the siblings – Eddie, Louie, Bella (And me Gertrude)
Eddie is played by my friend Baron. I adore Baron. To me he is larger than life… Could be cause he towers over me by a foot, but honestly it’s cause he takes a role and makes it his own.
Louie is played by Ike. This guy… What can I say? Ike is good, very good and such a pleasure to watch on stage. I’m pretty sure this guy could grab your attention on the big screen.
Bella is played by Abby. Oh my Abby! Phenomenal actress. She is just a joy to be around. This was her first show with our little theatre, and I’m hoping not her last!

Photo by: Cassondra Greer

Photo by: Della Vodenicker

Last but definitely not least is Grandma. Grandma, or Momma is played by Sharon. This is my second show with Sharon. She is just a fantastic person to be around. So grounding. And I have to say she’s a damn mean Momma! 😉

Then there is Olivia (Barons daughter) and Mason (Levi’s brother) who have little cameos. These kids are awesome!

This cast was awesome!

I can’t forget our production and tech crew. Without them there is no show. There is no direction, no lights, no set.
Jim, our director. Jim is a straight shooter. I have shared the stage with him quite a few times, and I will say this man has helped make me a better actor. This was my first time under his direction, and yet again I feel he has only made me stronger. I have learned a lot from him and I am grateful.
Melissa is our stage manager. This lady I am proud to call my friend. This was actually her first time working behind the scenes and she rocked it! Always there. She is a rock. As awesome as she is on stage, she took that experience and used it on us. That right there my friend is pure genius.
Rebecca is our producer and costumer. She has the eye of an eagle. Fabulous is my only word for her.
Ken and Judy…. Ken built our beautiful set (with help from others) and Judy made it pretty. They both always give 100%, I hope they know how much they are appreciated.
Richard is our sound guy. But he’s not just the “sound guy”, he helps wherever he can. Without him…. Well you’d be bored to death!
Jeremy does our lights. You may think he’s just a button pusher, but it’s not true. One wrong move and we are in the dark… So he is our ” light”!
The we have the absolutely adorable Kelly running our spotlight! Love this girl! You can always count on her to put a smile on your face. She has more than once for me during this production.
And last but not least the ones that make us pretty, our makeup and hair ladies…. Charna, Cynthia, Judy (again) and Vikki. Love, love, love these ladies!

Today is our last show… Such a bittersweet moment. You work so hard to put a production together, then it’s over and on to the next!

Thank you each and everyone of you!

I just love my theatre family. These people are real. This play was a difficult one for me. I lost my father during the rehearsal process, my car decided to play tricks on me and my husband changed jobs and hours. Each one of them were there for me, and helped me move forward. You all will be forever apart of my heart. My deepest thank you!

That’s our little cast.

But most of to my husband and kids for allowing me to live my dreams and putting up with it all!