Skip to main content
Intellect

Comedy "The Foreigner" to invade Pardoe Theatre Oct. 11-28

Comedy, confusion and conspiracy will combine in the Brigham Young University production of “The Foreigner,” which will take place Oct. 11-28 at 7:30 p.m. on the Pardoe Theatre stage.

A matinee performance will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays.

Tickets are $14 or $9 weeknights and $10 weekends with a BYU or student ID. For selected performances, seats will be $7. Tickets can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, by calling (801) 422-7664 or by visiting performances.byu.edu.

In this popular comedy directed by theatre and media arts professor Eric Samuelsen, two Englishmen flee to a fishing lodge in the backwoods of Georgia to escape their problems. In an effort to keep his shy friend from uncomfortable situations, Froggy LeSueur tells the owner of the lodge that Charlie Baker doesn’t understand English.

Hilarity ensues when the townspeople begin revealing their secrets to the “foreigner,” who soon knows the whole town’s hush-hush business.

“Although Larry Shue’s ‘The Foreigner’ has become one of American theatre’s most beloved comedies, it would be a mistake to regard it as nothing but entertaining fluff,” Samuelsen said. “Charlie, the shy visitor to Betty’s fishing lodge who is forced to reinvent himself as a ‘foreigner,’ steps into a region, the Deep South, at a time when it was also reinventing itself.”

Dramaturg Julie Volk agreed, saying the play underscores important issues.

“While serving to make us laugh and enjoy life, comedy can also reveal truths,” she said. “Beyond simple entertainment, comedy is effective in teaching serious topics and conveying a deeper meaning.”

The cast includes Joseph Reidhead as the eccentric Froggy, David Smith as Charlie, BreAnne Folkman as lodge owner Betty Meeks, David Bunnell as the Rev. David Marshall Lee and Brittni Bills as Catherine Simms.

Working with Samuelsen and Volk are production stage manager Danielle Palliser, scenic designer Eric Fielding, costume and makeup designer Erika Landeen, lighting designer Rebeccah Roberts and sound designer Troy Sales.

For more information, contact Eric Samuelsen at (801) 422-3305.

Writer: Elizabeth Kasper

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Forum: Utah and the Constitution: a new national narrative

September 26, 2023
Knowing America’s national story is the only way to preserve liberty, taught Akhil Reed Amar, Yale’s Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science, at Tuesday’s Constitution Day forum.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Yelp certified: BYU-led research discovering ways to keep fake online reviews offline

September 26, 2023
A new study led by a BYU business professor offers strategic measures that businesses can take (and that consumers should be aware of) to instill a greater sense of trust in online review platforms and combat misinformation.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU educators, Native American tribal leaders team up to enrich Utah elementary arts programs

September 14, 2023
The BYU ARTS Partnership, part of the David O. McKay School of Education, began 16 years ago to increase the quality and quantity of arts education through dance, drama, music and visual art in elementary schools. The NACI is one of its four initiatives.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=