'The Foreigner' arrives at Priedaine in Howell

A side-splitting comic gem with a social conscience? An in-your-face comedy that tackles topics like morality and prejudice? That's exactly what the troupe from The South Street Players of Freehold delves into with their upcoming dessert theater production of "The Foreigner" by the late playwright Larry Shue.

The play will run on the New Jersey Latvian Society's Priedaine Stage, 1017 Route 33 East, Howell, on June 29, 30 and July 6, 7 at 8 p.m. and July 1 and July 8 at 2 p.m.

Director Tom Worsdale of Jackson has assembled a talented cast of seasoned actors from around New Jersey to bring to life the story of Charlie, a pathologically shy Englishman who is brought to an old fishing lodge in rural Georgia by his outgoing friend Froggy LeSeuer, a British Army demolition expert who is training at a nearby Army base.

Charlie is so overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers that Froggy concocts a story for everyone that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English.

Once alone, the fun begins, as Charlie overhears more than he should, with various characters making damaging revelations with the thought that Charlie doesn't understand a word being said. That he does fuels the hilarity of the play and sets up the climax in which things go uproariously awry for the bad guys!

Playing Charlie is veteran stage actor David Spangler from Colts Neck. Froggy is portrayed by a native Englishman, Jim Dyne of Jackson. The down-home innkeeper Betty is played by noted area and national cabaret singer Maggie Worsdale of Jackson. The rest of the cast is rounded out by veteran performers Jack Welch (Freehold), Liz Mahon (Aberdeen), Jeff Caplan (Manchester) and Tom Shewchuk (Howell).

"The Foreigner" was the winner of two Obie Awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards as Best New American Play and Best Off-Broadway Production in 1984.

In 1980, Shue studied with a theater company in Japan. He developed the central idea for "The Foreigner" when he discovered that the Japanese would tolerate even his most bizarre behavior (because he was unaware of Japanese social customs), dismissing his inappropriate actions as the conduct of an outsider.

Shue's career was cut short by a plane crash in 1985 that took his life.

Tickets for "The Foreigner" may be obtained by calling the box office at 866-700-7797. Tickets for the show and dessert are $22, with senior and group discounts available.