Theater Review: The Foreigner

by Jenni Stewart

Mesquite Community Theatre opened another hit last weekend. The Foreigner kept the Mesquite community captivated and entertained -- and I enjoyed myself right along with them.

The show tells the story of a fishing lodge in rural Georgia that is frequented by a british demolition expert when on business at a nearby army base called Froggy LeSeuer. This time Froggy has brought along a friend, a shy, boring young man with no personality named Charlie, who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. So Froggy, tells everyone that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. After Froggy leaves, comedy and antics ensue with Charlie overhearing private conversations and surprising revelations. Charlie wins over the hearts of the fishing lodge guests, and they all help each other grow.

The show itself is light and funny. The set and costumes (Tina Pisanelle and Suzy Cranford-Shankle) were colorful and did their best not to lock this show into any particular time period- leaving it set in the vague “recent past.” Froggy (Michael Bennett) and Charlie (Michael Moore) handled their characters exceptionally well. My favorite parts were those that had these two actors together. It’s always a treat to watch two veteran actors banter back and forth on stage. Betty Meeks (Barbara Jenkins) was a great female rival to Froggy and Charlie, and held her own getting just as many laughs from the crowd. Director Richard Tuman succeeded in creating an ensemble cast and cleverly staging very tricky scenes.

Even more impressive than the show was the audience’s reaction to it. Everyone was having a lot of fun and reacting well to the actors. Mesquite Community Theatre picked a great show for its community. The Foreigner runs through September 1st. Ticket prices range from $8-12. The comedy is rated PG, so you are encouraged to take the kids. All performances are held in the Black Box Theater in the Mesquite Arts Center. For reservations, call 972-216-8126 or e-mail Reservations@mctweb.org.