Greenville College Factory Theatre Presents The Foreigner by Larry Shue

Published: April 13, 2021

On November 9-12 at 7:30, the Greenville College Factory Theatre presents The Foreigner by Larry Shue. This award-winning play promises an evening of entertaining and thoughtful comedy.

The scene opens in a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by Froggy LeSeur, a British demolition expert played by Zach Bonner. Froggy is in Georgia to run a training session and has brought along a friend, a young man named Charlie, who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. To protect the pathologically shy Charlie, played by Nathan Ondracek, Froggy introduces him to guests at a fishing lodge as a foreigner who speaks no English.

The fun begins as the guests in the lodge converge on Charlie to spill their deepest secrets, since everyone thinks he doesn't understand a word being said. The fact that he does, fuels the nonstop hilarity of the play, and sets up the wildly funny climax in which things go uproariously awry.

Other characters in the fishing lodge are Austin Schumacher as the minister, Greenville native Gemma Heilmer as his fianc, and Stephen Gerling as her brother.

Brittnee Sanders as Betty Meeks runs the lodge, and Tyler Semple completes the cast as Owen, the local property inspector.

The play progresses into an examination of prejudice through laughter, and Charlie, the luckless "foreigner," becomes a hero. The show concludes as a wacky comedy with a message, as Charlie helps those around him realize their true power and worth.

Tickets are on sale at Watson's Drugstore and Jo's Java.

For information, please contact Cecelia Ulmer at cecelia.ulmer@greenville.edu.