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Koki Mitani x Neil Simon “Lost in Yonkers”

三谷幸喜×ニール・サイモン「ロスト・イン・ヨンカーズ」

This time, I heard that Koki Mitani premiered "Lost in Yonkers," a work by Neil Simon, a playwright whom he respects.

I went to the theater at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater!

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Photo on the right Photographed by: Tadashi Ojo

The story is set in Yonkers, New York in 1942 during World War II. The performers are immigrants from Germany and have painful past events.

Her mother, Mrs. Kurnitz (Mitsuko Kusabue), has stopped smiling due to this. Second daughter Bella (Miki Nakatani) wants to find happiness as a single woman. dear son

The eldest son Eddie (Takashi Kobayashi) leaves them with his mother and goes to work to pay off his debts, while Louis (Masahiro Matsuoka) returns home to hide from the local gang.

Gert (Satomi Nagano) hyperventilates while talking, and Jay, a boy who waits at his grandmother Mrs. Kurnitz for his father Eddie to return.

and Artie (Yosuke Asari, Jingi Irie). The story unfolds through the perspective of Eddie's two sons.

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Photo taken by: Tadashi Ojo

Jay and Artie are very modern (1940's?) kids, and they care about their father, but they read too much into the atmosphere and often make mistakes. The strict grandmother and the high-spirited Aunt Vera (the one-piece costumes of the period that change with each scene also brought out Vera's charming charm), and Uncle Louis, who is being chased by a gang and looks a bit dangerous (TV Coinciding with the older brother-like impression seen in the movie, he gave the teenage boys an aura of admiration as an adult different from their fathers. The rhythm of the interactions between Jay, Artie, and his grandmother was pleasant and light. In the second act, the eldest daughter Gert appears! He cares about Bella despite his circumstances. Bella confesses her earnest desire to be loved as a woman and confronts her mother head-on. A grandmother who has a painful past and cannot be honest with herself. The boys try to close the gap between a family that loves each other but can't express their love well... Not only was Mr. Mitani's direction wonderful, but the presence of the actors was wonderful.

 
The interactions and changes in the individual performances were very pleasant, and the stage performance felt like Mitani's new work, depicting the world of Neil Simon, which Mitani loves.
``Family Story'' depicts how people live their lives despite their clumsiness, and is a world that everyone can relate to. Recommended!