Danielle Ryan

Beginning this week, the UW-Eau Claire theatre arts department is set to debut one of playwright Larry Shue’s finest comedic productions.

The contemporary play, “The Foreigner,” with its dark comic robustness and intelligent banter, has been alluring and enchanting theatergoers since its inception in the 1980s. With its refreshingly spirited cast and crisp witted tongue, “The Foreigner” has engaged viewers and provides that much-needed and widely welcomed rich, comedic experience.

“All of the main characters are either concealing something about themselves or deeply misunderstood,” said F. Reed Brown, a new theatre department professor and 26-year veteran director.

Set in a fishing lodge in rural Georgia, the play is centered around main characters Charlie Baker and Froggy Lesueur. Baker, a tragically and unfortunately shy individual, is coerced into the guise of an international traveler unable to speak nor understand a word of English. With this clever deception, Baker is able to obtain secret and undisclosed information from other characters that are under the impression he cannot comprehend their language. With this comedic device, relationships are altered, and chaos ensues as true personalities and identities are exposed.

Brown contextualized the production, speaking to its underlying social premise hidden under comic disguise.

“By Charlie putting on a social mask, he’s able to unmark everyone else. He either finds comfort in his own issues or exposes the hypocrisy of others,” he said.

Brown possesses an award-winning résumé, proving his astute and creative ability to provide audiences with enjoyable and worthwhile entertainment. At his previous institution in Virginia, he was awarded the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Award for the directing of the production “Big Love,” he said. This prestigious award was given for most cohesive ensemble in New England.

Supporting characters include Ellard, a youthful simpleton who attempts to teach Baker English, and Betty Meeks, the owner of the lodge in which the story is set. In contrast to Ellard, Meeks exudes eccentricity and assumes the values and ideologies of a traditional southern woman. As the plot progresses, the privy nature of Baker helps him to expose information affecting the identities and relationships of the other characters.

The role of Ellard is played by senior Tyler Morris. Although he has been acting since high school, “The Foreigner” is his first experience with comedy, Morris said.

“In rehearsal, you can think you’re funny, but improving with lines usually isn’t,” he said. “The important element is with timing and phrasing, and Larry Shue [playwright] is awesome with that.”

In addition, the enthusiastic and wholehearted senior Kaysee Schmidt assumes the role of the unconventional Betty Meeks, whom she humorously describes as “my grandmothers together with a little Paula Deen.”

As a veteran actor of many years, Schmidt explained the definite differences between performing comedy and drama, as well as the associated challenges.

“Comedy is a different beast,” Schmidt said. “In comedy, you have to deal with timing, gestures and physical expressions. However, in drama, you let the emotions just come over you rather than forcing it. I love comedy, but you’re either good at it or not.”

Both Schmidt and Morris expressed enthusiasm with working with the cast and Brown in “The Foreigner.”

“It’s been a blast,” said Morris. “We’ve all gotten really close.”

Brown also recalls enjoyable experiences working with this cast, his first at Eau Claire. He described the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings rivalry between the cast, which made for enjoyable outings and a chance for the group to develop lasting friendships. Their camaraderie clearly translates to the stage as comedic timing, and the ways in which the cast members play off of each other as an acting technique is superb and supremely amusing, he said.

Larry Shue’s “The Foreigner” debuts at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Riverside Theatre in Haas Fine Arts Center. The play runs select times through Nov. 14.