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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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For the week of December 5 - 11, 2001

  Arts & Entertainment

"The Foreigner" makes a visit to Ketchum

Wood River High School Players mount comedy at nexStage


By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

Among the theater companies in the valley, The Wood River High School Players stands out for its sheer determination and continued progress.

This weekend will mark the second year the players have mounted a show at the nexStage Theatre in Ketchum. "The Foreigner," directed by Rebecca G. Miller, plays Dec. 6, 7 and 9 for four performances. The evening curtain is set for 8 p.m. and there’ll be a Saturday afternoon matinee at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available at Chapter One Book Store in Ketchum and Read All About it in Hailey.

Photo courtesy Gary Hoffman

Appearing in the play are Wood River High School students Andy McCullum, Collin Kinder, Will Hemmings, Adam Bohrer, Matt Van Zeipel, Erika Freestone and Jessica Jensen.

About 30 students auditioned for the production, said Wood River High School Player director Deb Bohrer. "They were all talented. Becky could have cast it three times. It was a difficult decision."

"The Foreigner" premiered at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater in January 1983. It went on to win two Obie Awards—for off-Broadway plays—and two Outer Circle Awards. Two years later, playwright and actor Larry Shue was killed in an airplane crash. He was 39.

A viable talent in the theater world, Shue had also written the hilarious comedy "The Nerd," which was produced on London’s West End with Rowan Atkinson in the lead in 1982 and on Broadway in 1987.

The story of "The Foreigner" involves a mismatched group of men at a fishing lodge in rural Georgia who meet while on vacation.

Froggy, an ex-Army serviceman running maneuvers at a near by Army base, has brought along a shy and personality-challenged friend, Charlie. Not wanting to interact with anyone Froggy introduces him as a foreigner.

This turn of events proves to be highly hilarious as well as intriguing, because the locals are not used to such exotic visitors.

The locals, understandably, begin to speak freely in front of Charlie, pouring out their secrets, teaching him English and at the same time lifting their spirits.

The unintended consequences are not only uproarious, but lead Charlie to uncover a scheme that puts him and his fellow guests in danger.

Witty and sharp-tongued, the play also encompasses a little dark streak with a downright suspenseful finale.

It remains, however, guileless and charming throughout. At the same time it is also a thought provoking evening of theater, as it reinforces ideas of cognition and how our perceptions are changed by ignorance.

Tickets for this comedy are $5 for students and $8 for adults.

 


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.