Lost in Yonkers

Lost in Yonkers

by Neil Simon
directed by Jacquelyn Ritz

May 19 – Jun 11
Saturday Matinees: June 10 at 2 pm
Preview Performance: May 19 at 8 pm
Opening Night: Saturday, May 20 at 8 pm
(No shows June 2 or 4)

By America’s great comic playwright, this memory play is set in Yonkers in 1942. Bella is 35 years old, mentally challenged, and living at home with her mother, stern Grandma Kurnitz. As the play opens, ne’er-do-well son Eddie deposits his two young sons on the old lady’s doorstep. He is financially strapped and taking to the road as a salesman. The boys are left to contend with Grandma, with Bella and her secret romance, and with Louie, her brother, a small-time hoodlum in a strange new world called Yonkers. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play deceptively hides real honest life affirmation between jokes, and shows why Neil Simon has been called “the Shakespeare of his time,” and possibly the “most successful playwright in history.”

CAST

Kenny Bordieri

Kenny Bordieri
(Eddie)

Kenny is a San Diego-based artist. He last appeared in SRT/OTC’s co-production of Lucky Stiff as Vinnie. Regional credits include: All the Way as George Wallace, Mamma Mia! as Harry, and Clybourne Park as Tom/Jim (Lyric Rep.); Deathtrap as Clifford (Oceanside Theatre Co.); Good People as Stevie (SRT); Accomplice as several characters, and more. Kenny was trained at the Pacific Conservatory theatre, and has a BFA in acting from Utah State University. Kenny is happy to be bringing this classic Neil Simon story to life with such a talented team of artists.

Giovanny Diaz de Leon

Giovanny Diaz de Leon
(Jay)

 As a San Diego native, Giovanny has been working as an actor for the last few years. He is an alum of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (Class of ‘22) where he trained in Musical Theatre. He is extremely excited to be joining the cast of Lost In Yonkers and would like to thank his family, friends, mentors, and anyone he has had the pleasure to work with in the past for their continued love and support. Regional credits: New Village Arts: The Ferryman. CCAE Theatricals: Witnesses. San Diego Repertory Theatre: Hershey Felder Sings The Great American Songbook.

Jill Drexler
Jill Drexler

Jill Drexler
(Grandma Kurnitz)

Jill’s most recent stage credits at SRT: I Hate Hamlet and Move Over, Mrs. Markham. Other theatres in San Diego she has worked at include: Cygnet, North Coast Rep, Moxie, Backyard, Ion, Moonlight, Diversionary, and La Jolla Playhouse. She is the proud recipient of the Critics Circle award and is also proud to be the Artistic Director of SRT. She is joyful to be with the amazing cast, crew, designers and director of Lost in Yonkers, and she sends her personal thanks to all those in the audience for supporting live theatre.

Katee Drysdale

Katee Drysdale
(Bella)

Katee is a born and raised San Diego actor and holds a BA in Acting from Sonoma State University. She is grateful and thrilled to be returning to the SRT stage in this Neil Simon classic. Previous credits include: Patricia in The Taming (SRT), Kathleen in And Neither Have I Wings to Fly (SRT), Viola in Twelfth Night (SSU), and Melody in Bad Jews (Left Edge). 

Eddy Lukovic

Eddy Lukovic
(Louie)

This is Eddy’s SRT debut! Recent acting credits include: Air Turbulence (PowPAC), Turning Off the Morning News (OnStage Playhouse), Dial M for Murder (Lamplighters Theater) and The Comedy of Errors (Coronado Playhouse). Eddy is a San Diego native who has trained extensively with SITI Company out of NYC. A big thank you to his family and friends for their love & support of his theatrical work. 

Melanie Mino

Melanie Mino
(Gert)

Melanie is a native San Diegan making her SRT debut. She was recently onstage as Christa in The Lobster Man (Trinity Theatre Co. New Works Festival), Margie in The 1940’s Radio Christmas Carol (PowPAC), and Saving Magdi (San Diego Memoir Writers Association). Melanie has studied acting locally with Jacqueline Ritz, Justin Lang and Jo Anne Glover. When she is not performing, Melanie loves to cook, travel, sing and volunteer for a local Bichon Frise rescue organization. Check her out at melaniemino.com.

John Perry (JP) Wishchuk

John Perry (JP) Wishchuk
(Arty)

JP is thrilled to be making his SRT debut! Some of his regional theater credits include; Boo Who and Danny Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, (Old Globe), Ralphie in Christmas Story, Fletcher in Freaky Friday (SDMT), Nigel in Matilda (Moonlight Stage Productions), Whiffle #2 in Cry-Baby, and Eddie in Mamma Mia (Coronado School of the Arts). JP thanks the SRT artistic team for this opportunity. He also thanks his teachers and family for their support. JP grew up in Scripps Ranch and is now a tenth grader attending Coronado School of the Arts, Musical Theater and Drama Conservatory. 


Jacquelyn Ritz, Director

Jacquelyn Ritz
(Director)

Jacquelyn is delighted to return to Scripps Ranch Theatre where she’s directed Accomplice, Communicating Doors, and And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, and assistant directed Crimes of the Heart. Jacquelyn also teaches the ongoing showcase class for professional actors at SRT called Acting with Jacquelyn Ritz. Other directing credits include: Dance of Death (Theatre Undone’s Reading Series), Assistant Director to Tom Markus on Laughter on the 23rd Floor (North Coast Repertory), the Fringe’s That 24 Hour Thing (2014-2016, 2018). Jacquelyn has been an acting coach, a fight director, a teacher, and mostly an actor for many years. She’s worked at La Jolla Playhouse (Baroness in LEMPICKA), North Coast Repertory (the title role in Annabella in July among many others), Intrepid, The Kennedy Center, Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory, Asolo Center for the Arts, Colorado Shakespeare and many more, working with and learning from world-famous Tony and Jeff Award-winning directors, including Rachel Chavkin, Hal Prince, Oscar Eustis, Rachel Rockwell, and Gabriel Barre. Jacquelyn is a member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA. 
www.JacquelynRitzBiz.com


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