Absurdities—and laughs—abound in The Foreigner, the play currently on the bill at The Great American Melodrama in Oceano.
The Foreigner by Larry Shue is a farce that has become a staple in theater since its premiere in 1983. The play has been in our neck of the woods before, and is back in all its goofy glory for another hilarious run.
The storyline revolves around middle-aged Charlie Baker (Billy Breed), who, for personal reasons, does not want to interact with anyone at the hunting lodge resort in rural Georgia recommended to him for some alone time by his friend, Froggy LeSueur (Lawrence Lesher).
Despite his French-sounding name, Froggy is a British Army soldier on assignment in Georgia, for the purpose of teaching demolition techniques.
Why Froggy is teaching in the American South is not clear. What is important is that a) Froggy knows how to blow up stuff, and b) he is a friend to Betty Meeks (Suzy Newman), who owns the lodge.
To please Charlie’s antisocial request, Froggy tells Betty that Charlie does not understand English, that he is a foreigner. Betty explains to her two other guests, Catherine Simms (Eleise Moore) and her brother Ellard Simms (Toby Tropper), why Charlie sits with a glazed look on his face and doesn’t say anything: He doesn’t understand what they are saying.
So they think.
Catherine feels comfortable revealing to her fiancé, the Reverend David Marshall Lee (Jeff Salsbury), that she is pregnant while Charlie is present. Reverend Lee offers to marry Catherine immediately, knowing that she has inherited a goodly sum of money.
Owen Musser (Matt Katzenmeier) arrives, with his long hair, sleeveless shirt and jacket, and knife in a sheath hanging from his belt. Owen is the county property inspector. In a plot cooked up by him and Reverend Lee, Owen is on the verge of condemning Betty’s lodge so that Lee and Owen can get control of the property and use it for nefarious purposes.
Charlie overhears the plot, and spends the weekend pretending to learn English from the amiable and good-hearted Ellard. The English lessons are fodder for a lot of fun.
Reverend Lee also tries to convince his fiancée, Catherine, not to share her inheritance with her brother, Ellard, because he is not capable of managing the money on his own. There is concern that Ellard may be a bit dimwitted.
The second act is nothing less than riotous. You end one laugh and immediately start another.
Charlie pokes fun at the tough-looking Owen, who flies into a rage and threatens Charlie, who snaps out of his placidness and mouths a lot of mumbo jumbo (and enjoys every minute of it). Charlie scares Owen.
Long story short, three men in Ku Klux Klan getups appear and attempt to intimidate Charlie and Betty.
To reveal more would not be fair to those intending to see the show. Rest assured that the second act is filled with laughs as the plot to do evil is foiled.
The cast is terrific. Breed plays Charlie with an understated restraint. Breed is a master of nuance in facial expressions and mannerisms.
Newman does a fabulous job as Mrs. Meeks. Katzenmeier portrays the crooked property inspector, Owen, to the hilt. This character is a whirlwind of energy—fueled by bias and a deep desire to be the county sheriff.
Tropper struts his comedic stuff and is in fine fettle as the amiable and good-hearted Ellard Simms.
Salsbury nails the role of Reverend Lee. He is so believable as a minister that it’s truly shocking when we discover the blackness in his heart.
The peppy Moore plays Catherine Simms. What was she thinking, getting involved with Reverend Lee?
Lesher exudes an air of casual “can do” as he portrays the easygoing British demolitions expert and good friend of Charlie.
Pace and timing are everything in this kind of play. Director Dan Schultz kept the action moving in a finely tuned manner. For this production, Amanda Johnson is stage manager. Tim Seawell is lighting designer, and Brandon P.T. Davis is responsible for the setting. Renee Van Niel was costume designer. Ilana Atkins was the accompanist. Company manager Chris Woloch deserves thanks too, for cheerfully helping with seating.
The Foreigner runs through March 5. As the regulars know, beer and wine are available, as are a variety of snacks. Booing the villains and cheering for the heroes is always encouraged.
Contributor Helen Ann Thomas always boos the villains. Contact her through Managing Editor Joe Payne at [email protected].
