By Jennifer Mustoe and Craig Mustoe
Utah Shakespeare Festival’s theme this year is tolerance, and what better way to convey that message than with huge laughs, great acting, and a caring script with The Foreigner, a comedy written by Larry Shue. The Foreigner opened off-Broadway in 1984 at New York City‘s Astor Place Theatre where it ran for 686 performances. It tells the story of Charlie Baker (Michael Doherty*), who travels with his friend Froggy LeSueur (Chris Mixon*) to Georgia to stay at a hunting lodge that belongs to Froggy’s friend Betty Meeks (Colleen Baum*), a widow who worries she will lose the lodge to the nefarious Owen Musser (Russ Benton*), who claims as the County Appraiser, that her foundation is bad and her lodge will be condemned. Staying with Betty is Rev. David Marshall Lee (Josh Jeffers) who is engaged to the newly-pregnant and newly-rich Catherine (Katie Fay Francis) (he told her he was sterile–she is not happy about the pregnancy, her parents died and left her a healthy inheritance.) Catherine’s brother Ellard (Rob Riordan*) is a little slow but a loving and kind young man. Charlie is in love with his dying wife, but she has had many affairs. He is a huge introvert and is panicked that he’ll have to interact with all these strangers. Froggy contrives to convince the lodge folk that Charlie is a Foreigner and can’t speak any English.
What unfolds are several things:
- Thinking he can’t understand them, people say anything around Charlie, so he finds out about everybody’s secrets. He is being trusted, though he is not being honest. Funnily enough, he is very trustworthy, and I love this twist.
- Charlie has been beaten down, perhaps because his wife has preferred so many others to him? He is convinced he is boring. But as the Foreigner, he becomes not just animated, witty, and fun, but as the others try to draw him out, their true natures are revealed. Ellard, who is coddled by his doting sister and emotionally abused by David and Owen, “teaches” Charlie to speak English, and the beautiful relationship this creates is incredible. Betty, old, tired, and feeling like her life has passed her by, sees in Charlie a deep and special friendship and says she feels understood and happy again. Betty is improved by being around the Foreigner.
- Catherine blathers on to Charlie without a care as she mourns her days as a debutante. She learns that she has value for herself, again, because Charlie seems to have cast his special, speechless spell over her.
Michael Doherty as Charlie Baker inthe Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of The Foreigner. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
As Charlie becomes his new Foreigner self, he is truly brilliant in the scenes with Ellard and the others. He tires of not being able to say anything, so he slowly learns how to communicate with them on his own terms. This alone builds his confidence. Doherty as Charlie is brilliant. I’ve seen The Foreigner produced three different times, and it is a show that is hard to mess up, if you have even decent players. Doherty is far beyond decent. His timing, which is essential in The Foreigner, is spot on. But those long, sarcastic looks he gives. Every single one brought the house down. The scene where Charlie and Ellard are mirroring each other is always delightful, but Doherty and Riordan’s take on this scene is beyond perfect. Director Vincent J. Cardinal keeps his players tight, focused, and wonderful. He has chosen a dream team and then amped it up even higher.
Rob Riordan (left) as Ellard Simms, Colleen Baum as Betty Meeks, Michael Doherty as Charlie Baker, and Katie Fay Francis as Catherine Simms in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of The Foreigner. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
Riordan is exquisite as Ellard. He has just the right nuance to make Ellard a comical character, but not one we want to discount or mock. We love Ellard. Riordan has such sensitivity. And then, when you see him as Huck Finn in Big River and Doherty as Tom Sawyer, it’s like you’ve died and gone to heaven to see these two men play different types of friends–younger, more innocent, still sweet. Their acting, their connection, their voices…. Don’t you just love repertory theater?
Michael Doherty (left) as Charlie Baker, Colleen Baum as Betty Meeks, Katie Fay Francis as Catherine Simms, Chris Mixon as S/Sgt. “Froggy” LeSeuer, and Rob Riordan as Ellard Simms in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of The Foreigner. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
Baum as Betty is charming. I love how she misinterprets what Charlie is trying to say, but keeps blustering on. Betty could be seen as pathetic or stupid if not played right and Baum has it all right. Her performance has that “ahhh” kind of feel to it. Baum is so funny, so present, so loving. You hope Charlie is kind to her, and he is. The synergy between Baum and Doherty is darling.
Mixom as Froggy is great–the best I’ve seen. (Well, everyone in this production is the best I’ve seen. #Truth.) Froggy can be something of a throw away character, but Mixom gets Froggy and brings him to life, with all his sarcasm, heroism, and caring for his friends Charlie and Betty. Interestingly, when USF did The Foreigner years ago, Mixom played Charlie. Good stuff. I hate Owen Musser, so Benton does him just nastily enough. He is a racist, a liar, a sexist jerk and Benton is doing his stuff, because Owen is thoroughly reprehensible. Good job to Benton to be so good I hate him. Francis as Catherine is lovely. I’ve never really seen an actress be as wistful as Francis does with Catherine and it is very effective. Catherine can often be kind of bossy and whiny. Not so in this production. (Francis is also in An Iliad and several other USF shows, as well.) Jeffers as the Reverend–let’s just say I am highly disappointed in the Reverend, which just shows that Jeffers plays him perfectly. What a creep. Catherine dodges a bullet with this one–thanks to Charlie. Jeffers does the Reverend’s slick, slimy pandering so well. I loved it.
Lots of herbal pills are available in the market to heal the erectile dysfunction in men such as stress, kidney problems, hypertension, heart disease, generic cialis from canada http://mouthsofthesouth.com/locations/page/10/ sleep disorders, surgery to the spinal cord or pelvic area, tobacco use etc. Bringing changes in the diet can also delay untimely ejaculation in purchase viagra on line men. There are two advantages of buying http://mouthsofthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/MOTS-TURLINGTON-06.30.18.pdf cialis tadalafil 20mg generic medicines instead of brand medicines. order discount viagra As soon as the indications of eczema begin to fade, the dosage will be lowered to a few times daily.
Michael Doherty (left) as Charlie Baker and Russ Benton as Owen Musser in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of The Foreigner. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
“Bees comin’ down.”
In the lovely Randall L. Jones Theatre, it is big enough to feel grand but intimate enough to feel cozy and special. Scenic Designer Jason Lajka creates a hunting lodge with all the trappings (see what I did there?) to help us feel like we are in the backwoods of Georgia. The detail is delightful, layers and layers of fun, and charming decor and design. Lighting Designer William C Kirkham brings lighting that keeps us focused on what we should see. We see light, we see darkness, we see truth, we see falsity–all done perfectly by Kirkham. Fight Director Jason Spelbring keeps us entertained (and fooled–the fights are that good) and his actors safe and believable. Voice and Text Coach Jeremy Sortore keeps it real. I admit, I’m something of an accent snob and the players in this production of The Foreigner ring true. Costume Designer David Kay Mickelsen rocks enough of the 80’s vibe to bring a smile to my face. I loved Ellard’s hat with hair sticking out the front. And Betty’s aprons are a great touch. But Charlie’s boring-but-not-boring costumes are just what I wanted to see.
As is so often with wonderful shows, I don’t want to give too much away, so I will briefly touch on why USF’s theme of Tolerance is so prevalent in The Foreigner. Charlie thinks he is a nobody that nobody can love. And yet, because he’s a kind, generous, intelligent, and humorous fellow, he finds he can be loved and appreciated. All the “good guys” in the show blossom as they form bonds that enhance who they are. All the “bad guys”, those who show little tolerance basically are disliked and they crash and burn. It’s really quite simple. The more we are a tolerant, loving people, the more we draw that tolerance and love to ourselves and share it. It’s a beautiful message and one that is wrapped up in some of the best comedy I’ve ever seen in Utah Shakespeare Festival’s The Foreigner. Don’t miss this one, folks. We all need some laughs these days and this show gives you the best bang for your buck.
*Actors Equity players
Utah Shakespeare Festival presents The Foreigner, by Larry Shue
Randall L. Jones Theatre, 300 W Center St., Cedar City, Utah 84720
June 29 – October 13, 2018, Times and dates vary
Tickets: $32-71
Contact: 435-586-7878 or 1-800-PLAYTIX (752-9849)
Utah Shakespeare Facebook Page
0 Comments