Hampton Theatre Company to Stage Neil Simon's LOST IN YONKERS

Described by the New York Post as the best play Neil Simon ever wrote, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize as well as the Tony Award, "Lost in Yonkers" will be the third production in Hampton Theatre Company's current season.

Set in the summer of 1942, Jay and Arty, ages 15 and 13, are deposited at their grandmother's hothouse apartment above the family candy store in Yonkers. Their mother has recently died and their father Eddie must travel for work in order to pay off mounting debts.

Grandma Kurnitz, an Old World matriarch, runs the household with an iron fist, overseeing a crazy quilt of colorful, if semi-dysfunctional, family members: Aunt Bella, a loving yet emotionally arrested child-woman yearning for indepen-dence; Uncle Louie, a flamboyant small-time hoodlum on the lam; and Aunt Gert, whose fear of her mother has left her with a bizarre and comical speech impediment.

Gangsters, boyhood schemes, a secret romance, and the love of a bewildering family weave through this autobiographical coming-of-age story that remains a heartwarming testament to Neil Simon's talent.

Two newcomers to Hampton Theatre Company will take on the roles of the teenage brothers: Jamie Baio as Jay and Christopher Darrin as his younger brother, Arty. Jamie is a junior at Sayville High School where he has played numerous roles. Christopher, aged 12, an actor, singer, dancer and musician, has performed at numerous theaters and music venues across Long Island. HTC Artistic Director Diana Marbury will play their stern and overbearing grandmother.

Rebecca Edana returns as Bella, following her much-lauded performance as Jenny in HTC's recent production of "Dead Accounts." Edward Kassar, returning to the HTC stage for the first time since his larger than life performance as Lawrence Garfinkle in "Other People's Money," will take on the role of Louie, Bella's gangster brother. Catherine Maloney, who plays the psychologically scarred Gert, comes to the HTC directly from her starring role in "Becky's New Car" at the NFCT. Russell Weisenbacher, who made his HTC debut as Duane Wilson in "Harvey," plays the boys' father Eddie.

George A. Loizides will direct, returning to the HTC where he last directed another Simon play, "The Odd Couple (female version)," in 2009.

The set design is by Peter-Tolin Baker, lighting is by Sebastian Paczynski and costumes are by Teresa LeBrun.

"Lost in Yonkers" opens on March 31and runs through April 17 at the Quogue Community Hall on Jessup Avenue in Quogue. Showtimes are Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. The Hampton Theatre Company will once again be offering special dinner and theater packages in collaboration with the Southampton, Westhampton Beach, Hampton Bays and Quogue libraries. Complete information about the dinner and theater packages is available on the company website, www.hamptontheatre.org.

To reserve show tickets, visit www.hamptontheatre.org, or call OvationTix at 1-866-811-4111.

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