The Foreigner
Spotlight Theatre: 6/27 – 8/1
L-R: Adrian Egolf, Bernie Cardell,Mari Geasair and Luke Terry with Andy Anderson above left.
Larry Shue’s “The Foreigner,”
now on view at The John Hand Theatre on Lowry, is Bernie Cardell’s hundredth
production! The show is a hoot and I hope you can still get a ticket! If not, call the box office and insist that they extend!
Director Katie Mangett has
provided us with a great cast and elicited comic portrayals that are
wonderfully human. To paraphrase Mangett in her director’s notes ‘this play can
easily lean into stereotypical characterizations.’ To her credit and that of
her cast that is not our experience.
The Meeks Fishing Lodge in
Tilghman County, Georgia is the setting and British Sergeant Froggy Le Sueur
has brought his friend Charlie for a bit of a respite from stressing about his
very ill wife. Charlie is socially challenged and not wishing to interact with
the locals so Froggy suggests he pretend to be a ‘foreigner’ unable to
understand what’s going on around him at the lodge. The oncoming train wreck of
adoration by the elderly widow who owns the resort ( a very funny Mari
Geasair!) allows for lots of laughter born of confusion.
Andy Anderson is a
sensationally funny Froggy who imagines the conceit of Charlie being an
ignorant foreigner who can’t understand or speak English. However... it's Cardell who steals the show as a hilarious Charlie
Baker. One of the highlights of his performance is the inventive tall
tale he spins out of the intentional gibberish of his ‘national patois’
enhanced by semaphore-like gesticulation.
Luke Terry is a stitch as the
adorably challenged Ellard Simms.
Adrian Egolf is magnificent
in the role of Catherine Simms, the belle of the Fishing Lodge who is engaged
to the narrow-minded Reverend David Marshall Lee (Luke Sorge.)
Leroy Leonard turns in a
solid performance in the role of the redneck Owen Musser. Leonard’s portrayal
provides stark contrast to the other characters allowing us to feel a menace
seldom felt in other productions of this play.
Spotlight Theatre
Company presents
"The Foreigner”
June 27 – August
1 – one-week extension!
Fri/Sat at 7:30
p.m.; Sun at 2:00 p.m.
The John Hand
Theater, 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, CO 80230
Free parking.
No comments:
Post a Comment