Suddenly, Bella enters, upset, and tells the boys a "sacred secret": she's met someone at the movies, an usher named Johnny, and she plans to get married. For full extended monologue, refer to the script edition cited here: At least he’s doing something in this war. When she asks them to tell her why they want to live with her, they do their best to flatter her, but Arty tells her that they have no place to go. We’re not rich people, boys. Maybe you don’t rob banks or grocery stores or little old women. However, the boys know they must stay with her while their father attempts to work himself out of debt selling iron. . And I’m proud of him. However, the boys know they must stay with her while their father attempts to work himself out of debt selling iron. Lost In Yonkers by Neil Simon Character: Bella (35) Bella grew up with an unnamed learning disability and, in some ways, is childlike. Soon enough, Grandma emerges from her bedroom and scolds Bella for being out so late and for going to the movies so much. . Momma? Grandma Kurnitz (pg 35-36) You haff no place else to go. She is serious and stern because her life has been difficult. I’ve worked in that store and taken care of you by myself since I’m twelve years old, that’s how strong I am…Like steel, Momma. Philadelphia, PA, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent © 2020. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! And I’ll tell you something else-No. Arty offers, "What if one night we cut off Grandma's braids and sold it to the army for barbed wire?". Well, I can…I’m as strong as an ox. The main conflct in Lost in Yonkers revolves around Eddie's debt, and the necessity of leaving his boys with his mother in order to earn the money to pay the debt back. This monologue also clearly drives home the brotherly protection Jay feels for Arty. Maybe you don’t rob banks or grocery stores or little old women. Jersey Boys You pick on a couple of kids. You make fun of my father because he cried and was afraid of Grandma. She goes on to say that ever since Eddie married the boys' mother, they never came around and that she turned them all against her. This is the first time we see either of them stand up to him, after their uncle is insisting that Arty reach into his mysterious black bag, as the boys have questioned what is in it, strongly believing it is stolen funds that their uncle is surviving off of. So, I just had a talk inside with your grandmother … To be strong. Dot's vy you Vant to live vith . . The boys remark on the fact that she allegedly beat her children when they were young, which is the cause of Bella's arrested development. And let me tell you something about my father. Grandma demands that Bella hand over the movie magazine she bought, and Bella eventually does before rushing into her room. You’re worse than that. You pick on a couple of kids. Your own nephews. Arty and Jay are shocked to learn that Grandma has money that she hides in the house, and Bella tells them, "10 or 15 thousand. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Grandma, an older and imperious German woman, comes out of the bedroom and greets the boys sternly. The audience has heard a lot about her from different characters without ever having laid eyes on her, and the image that the other characters paint is not particularly flattering. Hearing this, Arty and Jay plot about ways they could make money for their father. Jay is fifteen years old, and he and his brother, Arty(thirteen,) are staying with their  grandmother, who cruelly seeks to crush the children’s natural emotions by making them fear her. !Very strong emotions needed in this one.) The scene ends with everyone else in shock, while Bella beams in excitement. . ( Log Out /  Monologue from Lost in Yonkers Grandma Kurnitz (pg 35-36) Monologue from Lost in Yonkers. He tells them that he's convinced Grandma, even though she was unsure about it, and that they have to be on their best behavior when Grandma comes out to talk to them. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. The Question and Answer section for Lost in Yonkers is a great Eddie's mother, the boys' grandmother, is heartless and cold..... and during... Lost in Yonkers study guide contains a biography of Neil Simon, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. She scolds Jay for having cried, asks them bluntly which one is smarter, and is vigilant about making sure that the boys will be clean and well-behaved. Referring to Eddie, she says, "He cried in my bedroom. Particularly, the boys' anticipation of meeting with Grandma takes on a pressurized and doomed quality when their father tells them that they have to impress her so she will let them live with her. Where Grandma is cold-hearted, unaffectionate, and undeniably "adult," Bella is sweet to the point of obliviousness, trapped in a perpetual childhood. Lost in Yonkers study guide contains a biography of Neil Simon, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Background Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Lost in Yonkers: Jay (Neil Simon, 1990) September 4, ... You make fun of my father because he cried and was afraid of Grandma. After Arty accidentally slams Jay's finger in a drawer, Jay begins to cry. Another letter from Eddie tells the boys that he had to take a week off to rest, but that he plans to make up the lost time. The boys are in the apartment alone while Grandma and Bella are out. Start: This monologue also clearly drives home the brotherly protection Jay feels for Arty. Disenchanted!" Suddenly we are in the apartment, and we see Arty and Jay reading the letter late at night. Well, you’re no Humphrey Bogart. At 6:30 PM on an August night, we meet Arty and Jay, brothers who are at their grandmother's apartment in Yonkers, New York. to learn more about this monologue from Lost in Yonkers and unlock other amazing theatre resources! The contrast between her grave strictness and Arty and Jay's charming earnestness, the intergenerational tension between first and third generation immigrants, creates a comic theatrical landscape. Jay is fifteen years old, and he and his brother, Arty(thirteen,) are staying with their  grandmother, who cruelly seeks to crush the children’s natural emotions by making them fear her. I started my own business. Both boys equally fear and admire their uncle at turns. You pick on a couple of kids. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more monologues from This moment is one of the most defining for Jay in the play, as it is the first time we see him reprimand those in authority above him, who clearly are lacking the qualities needed to raise children. Lost In Yonkers By Neil Simon (This is an awesome monologue!! . In the letter, Eddie tells them he's developed an irregular heartbeat and the doctor told him not to travel, but that he's going to anyway. Skip navigation Sign in. ( Log Out /  He’s sick and he’s tired but he’s out there selling iron to make ships and tanks and cannons. ... Grandma Kurnitz is mother to Louie, Eddie, Bella, and Gert, and grandmother to Jay and Arty. you do no in toys in dis don't the. Leave him alone, Uncle Louie. The nephew’s Uncle Louie, who they strongly believe is involved with a mob, shows up mysteriously one night, and stays with the family for a few weeks, making their lives even more difficult. Learn When Grandma is done admonishing him, Eddie stands up to her, assenting that he was always a crybaby, but insisting that his late wife, Evelyn, did not turn him away from his mother, but only turned him towards "loving...caring...holding someone when they needed holding."