As Lost in Yonkers heads into its final weekend, we asked the two young stars of the production to reflect on their experience and fill us in on what lies ahead.
Alistair Sewell (Jay)
Alistair is a student from Madison, WI who was living in Evanston during rehearsals and the run for Lost in Yonkers.
The past two months of this experience have been truly wonderful. Opening night was a fantastic way to kickstart the run. Even though we had a week of previews before officially opening, there was still a buzz before the top of the play. I have never done a show with so many preview performances before opening night, so it was really nice to experiment while receiving feedback from both the audience and the director. Afterward, we celebrated our full house and opening performance at Room & Board, a design home furnishing store (I don’t think I have ever had so many tasteful options when deciding where to sit).
I have not acted in a production with a 43-performance run, and it really gave me a chance to settle into my character of Jay. That’s what I like about theater; learning about one’s character doesn’t stop when rehearsals are finished. The performances are when the actor grows into the character, making little changes and experimenting in front of an audience. In this production, I initially thought that there would be an a-ha! moment when I “completely” understood Jay. However, I found that I just grew to know him better in general throughout the rehearsal process and performance run. I’m still making discoveries about his personality. For me, the sheer number of performances has been a luxury to get to know Jay.
I am most thankful for the support of my mum and dad. None of this would be possible without them. It isn’t often that parents say “Sure, I’ll drive you two-and-a-half hours for a ten-minute audition.” They’re in the arts business, so they understand that this is my passion.
I will miss Chicago and the Northlight staff terribly, but I do look forward to returning home and enjoying summer with friends. In mid-July I am going to Craiova, Romania for a service trip with my church in Madison. We will build relationships with the team there and work with an orphanage that teaches life skills to prepare for employment.
In mid-October I begin rehearsals for From Up Here by Liz Flahive with Forward Theatre in Madison. I play Kenny, a kid who comes from a dysfunctional family and has done something at his school harmful enough to make him even more of an outcast (just hopping from one dysfunctional family to the next).
Afterwards I plan to travel and visit family in either Europe or New Zealand, and for college I would like to apply for a two-year acting conservatory.
I thank the Northlight Theatre staff, the cast and crew, and my parents for this opportunity. I hope I’ll have another chance to work in Chicago.
Sebastian W. Weigman (Arty)
I’ve learned a lot in the past few weeks. Namely, that we can squeeze the hearts of our audience, tear them in two, while somehow 
simultaneously setting them up to laugh the hardest they have in a while. I’ve also learned how the audience reaction ultimately shapes the show. Generally speaking, we’ve encountered two polar types of audiences, the first of which being the louder and more vocal audience that just wants to laugh. These audiences are great for energy, but then there’s the other side of things when we get an audience that is purely interested in the dramatic aspects of the play. The house, when quiet, can at first seem a bit discouraging to an actor. But it feeds a very different energy! Another factor is the routine of the show. Mentally, during the run of the previews, I had to set aside some time for preparation. But as I became acclimated to the show, I realized that my character of Arty is easier to access than in the beginning. I was excited to experience the different audience reactions throughout the run. Because after all, the most important aspect of all of this to me, is the reception and comprehension of the play from those on the outside looking in.
simultaneously setting them up to laugh the hardest they have in a while. I’ve also learned how the audience reaction ultimately shapes the show. Generally speaking, we’ve encountered two polar types of audiences, the first of which being the louder and more vocal audience that just wants to laugh. These audiences are great for energy, but then there’s the other side of things when we get an audience that is purely interested in the dramatic aspects of the play. The house, when quiet, can at first seem a bit discouraging to an actor. But it feeds a very different energy! Another factor is the routine of the show. Mentally, during the run of the previews, I had to set aside some time for preparation. But as I became acclimated to the show, I realized that my character of Arty is easier to access than in the beginning. I was excited to experience the different audience reactions throughout the run. Because after all, the most important aspect of all of this to me, is the reception and comprehension of the play from those on the outside looking in.This entire experience has been pretty incredible to say the least. Needless to say, the family doesn’t just stop on-stage. Everyone is constantly looking out for one another, and working together to foster a great artistic environment. I couldn’t have asked for a better cast to work alongside of for my first encounter with a Neil Simon text. I dedicated this year to my acting career. I “took the year off” and did my junior year of school online. Next year though, I’m planning on going back to my hometown of Oconomowoc, finishing out school, attending senior prom, and graduating with my class. It’s always been important to me to finish out with the kids I grew up with. Moving on out of high school, I will Major in English with a business-psych minor, and hope to be able to continue on a career path that involves some form of writing. Less realistically but more specifically, television-writing is where I really would like to find myself as a writer. And God knows that we’re in dire need of some decent television right now. Especially from an aspiring writer’s perspective, working the Neil Simon text has been a learning experience. This play has the potential to make you laugh and cry five minutes later, to pull you by your heart-strings and keep you emotionally invested in each and every character. I’m entirely glad that I’ve been able to have this wonderful opportunity and it’s a bit sad and surreal to let the whole thing go. But as I’ve been taught, I’ll inhale the experience, take in the good, exhale the leftovers, and move forward.
