Ana Marbett, Staff Reporter
Originally published November 20, 2016
Alex Putnam Peter Bauer (11) embodies Charlie’s transformation from a timid man, racked with anxiety over his crumbling marriage, to an innovative, hilarious leader.
The Drama Program’s performance of Larry Shue’s “The Foreigner” is engaging and executes this comical farce perfectly. This surprising story follows shy Charlie Baker (Peter Bauer) as he pretends to be a foreigner, completely inept with the English language, and enlivens the inhabitants of the rustic fishing cabin in which he spends his vacation.
Bauer embodies Charlie’s transformation from a timid man, racked with anxiety over his crumbling marriage, to an innovative, hilarious leader. Cassidy Murphy, playing the reverend’s fiancée, Catherine Simms, rendered her performance perfectly as she strutted across the stage as if she owned it, and she did. Catherine’s dimwit brother Ellard (Logan Couch) gives Charlie makeshift English lessons as he wanders about the beautifully constructed set.
The play was notably amplified by the incredible set which made the production all the more enticing and emotionally tangible. The set depicted the fishing cabin where Charlie spends his vacation. It was vivid and realistic, every piece of furniture chosen to create a perfect image of a rural home that the actors used to their advantage to seamlessly place themselves into the story.
Although Cassidy Murphy executed a perfect southern drawl, dragging her syllables with ease, this was not the case across the board. At times it was difficult to hear some of the actors as they stumbled over their southern accents, which diminished the power and comedy of some scenes.
Despite, the cast provoked laughter and suspense with their invigorating performances, always keeping the audience engaged. The characters are vibrant and eccentric, inspiring the audience to embrace their idiosyncrasies and fight for their friends.
