Dare I post a review of "Lost in Yonkers&quot

Geez, it's good to see a healthy debate, but I don't quite follow all the fuss over reviews since I NEVER SEE ANY!>"With something such as a gossip page people can be as naughty as they want. The only real "control" is the ability of ones peers to criticise the naughty people or expose their ideas to ridicule."I agree. I always start my reviews with a self-deprecatory disclamer, followed by an invitation to 'tear me apart'.>"The website is a far more appropriate place for reviews to appear but I agree that the ITA should not be seen to endorse any reviews."Sure! And I hope people are clever enough to realise that what I say is MY opinion and not some fascist ITA doctrine insisting that they see show "X".Anyway, let's see how Jeff's suggestion works:>'The following review is in no way, shape or form a reflection on thepersonal character(s) of those involved. It is simply a personal opinionon a personal experience. No ill-intention is meant.' (Or some such.)I had a perfectly awful evening at Playlovers the other night. Not sixty seconds before their production of "Lost in Yonkers" started, some idiot's car alarm went off. And kept going. And kept going! Admittedly, the owner (whom I suspected to be from the next-door tennis club) attempted, quite dismally, to turn the damn thing off - but it repeatedly restarted seconds later. After about fifteen minutes (!), the problem was fixed. Then, for much of the rest of the play, the audience was treated to the comments and abridged-life-stories of two elderly ladies who just would not shut the hell up!However, the good news is that the play should now be jinx-free!Despite these annoyances (for which Playlovers can in no way be blamed) I enjoyed myself immensely (scared you at the start, eh?). Quite simply, I haven't been so completely absorbed in a production in this way for a long, long time. The set is simple; the plot is nothing special; the script is realistic and moves, apart from a slow first fifteen minutes (or did the car alarm bias me?), at a reasonable pace. But the strength in this production comes from the superb acting performances.I admit: I'm not particulaly enthalled by the idea of a play about two young Jewish boys spending a year with their strict Grandmother in 1930s New York, but geez, did I enjoy this play. The actors involved brought this potentially dull story alive, and created real characters that I REALLY cared about. Go and see this show and experience an acting tour-de-force. Playlovers, and everyone involved, deserve to be heartily congratulated.JB(Opinions expressed above are the naive meanderings of a self-confessed Trekker and are not endorsed by any other person, association, or entity. Copyright 1999. All rights reserved.)