THOMASVILLE — Get “Lost in Yonkers” as Thomasville On Stage and Company opens its fall production on Friday.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, written by Neil Simon and directed by TOSAC’s Ron Scott, was first published in 1991 and draws from Simon’s experiences growing up in New York City.

It is set during World War II and focuses on a family.

“It’s a comedy with drama mixed in,” cast member Betty Hoskins said. “This could be anybody’s family: There’s a lot of conflict between the mother and the children, yet they all love each other and find a way to come together in a time of need.”

The main themes of the story include survival, the importance of family and acceptance.

“I think the theme is ‘all you need is love,’” cast member Will Buechner said.

He portrays “Uncle Louis,” who is “like the James Bond of gangsters.”

“He’s cool, sophisticated and yet, above all, he loves his mom,” Buechner said. “It has been a blast playing this character. In my 10 years in theater, I think this is the best role I’ve ever done.”

Carol Turner plays “Bella,” an adult with special needs. She said the role is “great” and one of her favorites.

“The family is dealing with a lot of dysfunction as the result of Grandma’s escape from Nazi Germany. They are a Jewish family that lives over their candy store.

“Each of the children has some particular disorder. My character was born with Scarlet fever, did not talk until age five and went to special schools. Now, at 35, she is going through puberty and having to deal with that and her insufferable mother.”

Hoskins is “Grandma,” the family matriarch.

“She is a woman who has been through a lot of hardships and she has dealt with them by putting up a front where she doesn’t show her feelings and doesn’t want others to show them. She believes you don’t survive unless you’re like steel.”

Hoskins said this is her most challenging role during her time with TOSAC because it is her biggest part and she must also “be mean the whole time and use a cane.”

“I’m very forceful with my cane,” she said of her character. “The only way she knows to keep her family together is to be mean, but everybody is dysfunctional because of it. She knows what she needs to do, but she does not know how to do it.”

Buechner said preparing for the production has been a great experience.

“It’s been laid-back and we have a great director who is flexible with our rehearsing hours and is very organized. That has made it easy for me.”

“Yonkers” also boasts a new attribute for a TOSAC play.

Actors will be outside the theater portraying 1940s greeters and street characters, producer Molly Clifton said. Production staff will also be in costume and the concessions area is assembled to resemble the play’s candy store.

“I think it will be something different and neat,” she said of her idea.

TOSAC board of directors member Jeff Lovett and his family will be participating in the production as street greeters.

“My wife and two youngest kids will be acting like 1940s New Yorkers on the sidewalk, handing out flyers and greeting people,” he said. “We’re going to be learning on our feet, but I think this is a great idea.

“We’ve been trying to reach out to some new and younger people to get them involved in live theater. There are many people here who’ve never seen a live performance on stage and I think anything we can do to get people to enjoy and participate in live theater is a good thing.”