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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1988)
Tuesday, July 12, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5 Review: ‘Foreigner’ entertaining, professional Review By Staci Finch Reviewer What do you get when you cross a shy Englishman with a bunch of down-home, friendly Georgians? You get “The Foreign er,” the latest effort by the Aggie Players. The story is simple. Englishman Charlie Baker comes to Georgia to get away from his wife, who is cheating on him. He stays at a hotel near the military base where his friend, Froggie, is stationed. Because he is shy, Froggie tells the others at the hotel that Charlie is a foreigner and can’t speak En glish. Consequently, the patrons air their problems, hopes and connivings openly, and Charlie is caught up in quite a soap op era. This scenario provides a background for some of the best comic acting seen at A&M recently. Understandably, the cultural dif ferences between the “foreigner” and the residents is a source for humor in itself, but the comic acting by the players multiplies it by a thousand. Most amusing is Mark Hadley as Charlie Baker. A young Englishman who thinks his wife is bored with him because he has no personality, Baker gains confidence in him self as he helps the residents of the hotel through his role as the foreigner. Hadley handles this serious part of the character, as well as the humor he creates — very well. At times his gestures are more fitting for a proscenium stage than an intimate dinner theater, and there are a few noticable slips in the English accent, but the rest is won derful. His portrayal of the “foreign” cus toms is hilarious, and his amusement at the patrons who take him so seriously is an ex cellent example of understated comedy. But Hadley doesn’t carry the show alone. Baker’s Australian friend Froggie was won derfully played by Matt Hunt. Although the Australian accent may have been a little too thick, Hunt portrayed the boisterious soldier who really cares about his friends with professional flair. This play was about stereotypes, and the actors took their stereotypes seriously. Kent Hawes was amusing as David Lee, the southern preacher who cares for his flock on the surface, but plans to rid the world of all “foreigners,” be they black, Jewish or merely from another country, behind the scenes. Hawes’ portrayal was a bit too ste- reotypically southern preacher, but it was good. Another predictable character (since the play is set Georgia) was Catherine the sou- tern belle, played by Suzanne Martin. A wealthy former debutante now engaged to Reverand Lee, Catherine learns she is preg nant, and is not happy about it. She spends the rest of the play trying to Find out what she wants, and learning that there is more to her Fiance than she previously thought. Martin does a good job with this part, but she worked too hard at acting bitchy instead of just being bitchy. But when Catherine told Baker her problems, Martin’s work really came through. The audience saw a whole part of Catherine not previously seen, and was with her all the way. The best stereoty pe of the cast was Steve McCauley’s work as Owen, the property in spector who is in with Lee to take over America for the Americans. One look at him, and you scream REDNECK, and the acting didn’t disappoint us. McCauley was perfect as the bullying, loutish Owen, whose limited intelligence is a source of amusement to the characters and audience alike. Rounding out the cast was Pamela Saxon as Betty, the 90-miles-an-hour-talking owner of the hotel who makes everything her business, and Jamie Spencer as Ellard, Catherine’s brother. Saxon was hilarious as her character dealt whith the wonderful ar rival of something she had never seen, a foreigner. Although age is always hard for the young to play, the audience easily for gave the few times Betty didn’t seem over 30, and enjoyed the performance im- mensly. Spencer played the role of Ellard, the supposed half-wit who really wasn’t so stu pid, lo perfection. Ellard’s role model had to be Gilligan, but Bob Denver didn’t have anything on this guy. Spencer’s work was so convincing that when he came out for his curtain call, the expression on his face was so different from that during the show it was hard to believe it was the same person. The show was directed well. The actors had a small space to work with, but every thing was handled professionally. Clever handling of stage props made scene changes brief, and the technical tricks used went off well and without a hitch. All in all, it was a very entertaning show. -—V Buy an IBM PS/2 Model 25, and we* 11 throw in the Works. The new IBM® | Personal System/2 Model 25 Now get Microsoft Works four-in- one software at no additional cost when you buy an IBM Personal System/2 Model 25. 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