“Lost in Yonkers” opens with two boys, Jay and Arty, waiting for their father in their grandmother’s living room. Their father, Eddie, has to travel to pay off a debt, and since his wife has died, he must leave the boys in the care of his cantankerous mother, Grandma Kurnitz.
Set in 1942, in the midst of the second World War, the play has themes of survival and sacrifice that provide a sense of personal context to the world in which it is taking place. But the story, said Susan Ribley, chair of the board of directors at Dalton Little Theatre, where the production is being presented, is timeless.
“It’s a human-interest story. The characters are so well drawn and the struggles are so universal,” she said. “I think having goals in life and wanting to reach your potential, that’s a rather universal story.”
IF YOU GO* What: Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers.”* When: 7 p.m. today, Thursday and Nov. 12; 8 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 13; 2 p.m. Sunday.* Where: Dalton Little Theatre, 210 N. Pentz St., Dalton, Ga.* Admission: $10 adults, $5 children.* Phone: 706-226-6618.* Website: www.daltonlittletheatre.org.
Playwright Neil Simon won a Pulitzer for his 1991 work, which followed his most famous trio of plays: an autobiographical triad known collectively as the Eugene Trilogy and featuring “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Biloxi Blues” and “Broadway Bound.”