Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...The master farceurs of the English-language theater of the 20th century are aging. The beloved British scribe Alan Ayckbourn was 75 last month. Neil Simon is 86. These two men - cumulatively responsible for scores of plays and an incalculable number of uneasy laughs - do not have an obvious heir. Not one who can write plays like "Lost in Yonkers," now on stage in a deeply moving production from the Northlight Theatre and one of the happy surprises of the spring season."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Yes, Simon has written a traditionally structured play about a family in distress. But it is a great beauty of a work that, on the edge of a dime, masterfully turns from the tragic to the comic in human nature while capturing all the absurdity that lies in between. Simon also brilliantly limns characters from three generations whose lives leave an indelible imprint on each other, and on us."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Set in the summer of 1942, the play follows two brothers (played by capable and charismatic teens Alistair Sewell and Sebastian W. Weigman) left to contend with a tyrannical grandmother while their father hits the road to sell scrap and pay off his debts. Grandma Kurnitz's relationship with her mentally impaired daughter, Bella (vividly brought to life by Linsey Page Morton), is the emotional apex of the show, a stirring reminder that the safety of family can be both stunting and suffocating. Erik Hellman has some of the best one-liners as Uncle Louie, an apple who can't seem to hurl himself far enough away from the tree."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...But it's the power struggle between Grandma and Bella that really drives the action. Whitney is impressively unstinting, a terrifying authoritarian as seen through unfamiliar young eyes. Morton, too, has crafted a vivid, heartbreaking portrait of a woman frustrated as much by her internal limitations as by those imposed upon her, yearning for some degree of independence and agency. Her second-act eruption, upon being denied by Grandma one time too many, is an arresting feat of in-the-moment discovery, the cry of a lost child begging to be found."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Lost In Yonkers, perhaps the finest family play ever, uses humor and richly developed characters to demonstrate the power of family especially as it becomes a survival place for all to learn to become tough enough to survive. Coming of age as an independent person covers more than just the boys. This heartfelt, humorous, nostalgic drama captures us from the start and keeps us engaged throughout. I have not felt as fulfilled and satisfied as I did upon seeing this triumphant production. Kudos to Northlight Theatre for tackling Simon’s masterwork – and – delivering such a wonderful production. Lost In Yonkers is among the finest players seen this year! Don’t miss it."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Neil Simon’s comedies have been making audiences laugh, and think, for many years. One play, which has not been done as often as the others is his “memory” play dealing with the Summer of 1942 ( the year I was born) as a man with two boys is forced , due to circumstances beyond his control , to take off and leave them with their Grandmother ( his “dreaded mother”) for a year! The play is “Lost In Yonkers” and this sterling production is now on the stage at Northlight Theatre in Skokie- a production that is by far the best I have ever seen of this play. In fact, this version, directed to perfection by Devon de Mayo is even better than the film version . She truly gets into the heart and soul of this family, which many interpret as Mr. Simon’s family."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Northlight’s excellent finale to their 39th season is just one more cause for celebrating this theatrical jewel on Chicago’s North Shore. This Pulitzer Prize-winning story about a family, pulling together to support each other during the hard times of the summer of 1942, is a blend of frank, unsentimental storytelling, authentic characters and is an inspiring lesson of how Americans unite to survive difficult times."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The Northlight is delivering one of those uncommon productions that will leave the spectator entirely satisfied with the quality of the play and the conviction and authenticity of the acting. Maybe it’s time for a reevaluation of Neil Simon as a skilled playwright and not primarily a laugh factory. Revivals of the Brighton Beach plays could recover forgotten pleasures, especially if placed in the hands of the director and ensemble that make the Northlight “Lost in Yonkers” such a moving and humane experience."
