OUR 2007 TOUR: LOST IN YONKERS


"If Broadway ever erects a monument to the patron saint of laughter, Neil Simon would have to be it."
--TIME Magazine


Neil Simon needs no introduction. Since 1961, when Come Blow Your Horn opened on Broadway, no one has had more plays produced on the Great White Way than the estimable Mr. Simon. Along the way he has made us roar with laughter and see our world through the prism of humor.

In the mid-eighties Neil Simon began to write in a more personal and deeper way about family, growing up, and the human condition. Without any sacrifice to the comedic genius that marks his writing, Simon's work took on a richer tone and his writing covered a greater spectrum of human interaction. The Eugene Morris Jerome trilogy is the result of this new path.

I have a personal relation to two of the plays from this trilogy. I stage-managed the national tour of Biloxi Blues, Simon's wartime memoir dealing with early stages of creativity, the fear of going "over there," and anti-Semitism. I was also privileged to direct Broadway Bound for the Montana Rep in 1996. Both productions offered me an insight into the true genius of Simon: It is his humanity. Whether through laughter or through his investigation into the heart of family, it is Simon's understanding, wisdom, and good humor that will always mark him as a master playwright.

Lost in Yonkers is, I feel, the natural culmination of the investigation begun with the trilogy. While still howlingly funny, Simon's heartfelt tale of a dysfunctional family (each character more eccentric and fascinating than the other) in 1940s New York finds him at the height of his powers as a playwright. For this effort he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in drama, placing him forever among the ranks of not only America's funniest playwrights but also its best.

As always, we are delighted to present a classic play that continues our investigation of the heart of the American character. We're proud to once again bring the work of Neil Simon to audiences across the country.

Greg Johnson
Artistic Director
Montana Repertory Theatre

Listen to a 30-second audio spot for Lost in Yonkers. (MP3 - 500K)

Download our Lost in Yonkers national tour itinerary. (PDF).

Download our Lost in Yonkers press kit. (PDF).

Download a Lost in Yonkers flyer and a page of ad slicks. (PDF).



Scenes from Montana Rep's production of Lost in Yonkers
Left to right: Danny Luwe (Jay), Marie Fahlgren (Arty), and Suzy Hunt (Grandma Kurnitz); Marie Fahlgren and Danny Luwe; Danny Luwe, Lordan Napoli (Bella), and Marie Fahlgren.