Light 'Foreigner' given good home
THEATER REVIEW
BY CHRISTOPHER MANLOVE Nearing the end of its 2004-2005 season, Theatre Harrisburg asks audiences to make "The Foreigner," Larry Shue's exceptionally well-written two-time Obie winner, feel welcome at the Whitaker Center. Charlie Baker, Englishman and crashing bore, has been brought to Georgia by his friend, Sgt. Froggy LeSueur, for some rural rest and relaxation -- a little respite from Charlie's unenviable life as a cuckolded magazine editor. To spare his introverted friend the trial of having to interact with other people, Froggy deceives the kindly proprietress of the lodge where Mr. Baker will be staying, telling her Charlie is a foreigner who neither speaks nor understands a word of English. By show's end, Charlie finds joy in the company of others, brings happiness to those around him and confronts the evil machinations of a bumbling Ku Klux Klan. Cast members work well together in the largely ensemble effort. David Newhouse's Charlie is endearing, with energy enough to tie the show together and carry it through to its improbable conclusion. (Newhouse is an editor at The Patriot-News.) Theatre Harrisburg newcomer Andrew Deichler as Ellard and returning veteran Jay Miffoluf as Owen both deliver sincere, committed and standout performances. The onstage pairing of Newhouse and Deichler was particularly enjoyable for many opening-night patrons. Generally speaking, the opening night was technically solid, with only a few minor kinks to straighten out. Sound cues were sometimes sketchy, and two different, offstage automobiles sounded miraculously similar when the same effect was used for their ignition and engines. The set also had a tendency to wobble when characters opened or closed an upstage door or traversed a stage right flight of stairs. In the end, "The Foreigner" is a good show, done well by Theatre Harrisburg |
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