CLIFTON — It was a lot of laughs at rehearsal last Monday as history teacher David Arts and seven Clifton High School students of varying grades worked with each other to put together "Lost In Yonkers," the upcoming ‘dramedy’ originally written by Neil Simon. But even through the barren stage, goofs and jokes, the entire cast listened closely to the 11-time Clifton High School play director and took their jobs very seriously.
Heading up this comparatively small performance are seniors Michael Purdy, Christina Filewicz, Victoria Waumans and Jose Lamarque. Junior Dominick Marrone and sophomores Kurt Irizarry and Sarah Robertson round out the rest of this cast, or "big, dysfunctional family," as they refer to themselves.
Coincidentally, it is a "big, dysfunctional family" that is the basis for Neil Simon’s "Lost In Yonkers." The result is incredible chemistry among the young actors. Nobody has any problem performing to the best of his or her abilities in the demanding roles.
When questioned as to the hardest part of the play, the director said the accent – a point that was unanimously agreed upon from the rest of the cast. "Lost in Yonkers" features six thick New York accents and one heavy, throaty German accent. Victoria Waumans plays nasty German immigrant Grandma Kurnitz incredibly well. She said she was able to draw inspiration from her late, great-grandmother. "She had a really thick accent. [I had the advantage of] listening to her talk everyday."
As for the New York accents, director Arts turns to old films set in the city.
"I showed them it, but I don’t really like the film version [of the play]." He continues, "It is hard, because there are so few performers out there who have that beat and cadence; the students don’t watch people like Rodney Dangerfield, Woody Allen and Larry David."
Arts said he understands the Jewish cultural undertones that are very important in the play; stopping his actors in order to help them understand and perfect the rhythm of the dialogue.
"I think I’ve had it since the beginning, but sometimes I [unknowingly] lapse into country," said Michael Purdy, who plays Jay.
It seems that the cast really appreciates the challenge of this play.
Sarah Robertson, whose father and mother were successful on Broadway and television – respectively, said this is one of her more demanding roles. "I have to breathe in on some lines and breathe out on others," she says. Sarah is no stranger to Neil Simon, as she landed a role in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" when she was younger.
Another onerous task for the actors, is to rise above the rapid-fire flip-flop of emotion that occurs throughout the story. Arts noted how throughout the later parts of the 20th century, there was comedy or there was drama. Neil Simon really blurred the lines with this play. "One minute, a character receives very bad news, but the next minute, someone comes in with a laugh. Neil Simon really invented the term ‘dramedy’."
Kurt Irizarry, playing Arty, overcomes this by losing himself in his character. "I love imitating people. My character is 13 years-old, which is great, especially because I act so immature."
For many of the students, school plays are simply fun extra-curricular activities. Jose Lamarque has plans to receive his degree in journalism and Christina Filewicz is preparing to leave the state and become a biology teacher. For them, this is an opportunity to have fun, build relationships and bring a little entertainment to the school and town. But for students like Victoria and Sarah, this is practice for the next step in acting on the stage. Either way, this is one talented group who are bringing it all to the table in what is guaranteed to be a brilliant performance. Look forward to seeing "Lost In Yonkers" on November 13, 14, 15 & 16.
