PLEASANT GROVE — The first time I saw The Foreigner was around 1990 or 1991 at Timpview High School in Provo. My cousin, who has more talent in his little finger than I do in my entire body, was playing the title role. I was quite young, but I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder in a theater than I did that night over 35 years ago.
This past Friday, I was reminded just how brilliantly funny and well-written this play is. The PG Players at the Christeson Little Theater in Pleasant Grove delivered every laugh with razor-sharp timing, and once again I found myself roaring with amusement and wiping away tears of laughter.
Written in 1983 by American playwright Larry Shue, The Foreigner is one of the most enduring comedies of the late 20th century. The play is set in a fishing lodge in rural Georgia, where a shy Englishman named Charlie Baker (Cam Bronson) seeks refuge from his troubles. His friend, Froggy LeSueur (Wesley Clark), tells the locals that Charlie doesn’t speak English—hoping this will spare him from awkward small talk. What follows is pure comic genius: the townspeople speak freely around Charlie, believing him to be a “foreigner,” and their conversations reveal deep dark secrets, schemes, and hidden prejudices that he never expected to hear. Before long, Charlie must “miraculously” learn English to foil a dangerous plot.
The supporting cast brought these quirky small-town characters to life. Debra Fink’s Betty Meeks was a standout—her fascination with Charlie’s odd behavior was pure comedic gold. Running the struggling fishing lodge, Betty’s wide-eyed reactions and deadpan humor reminded me of Rachel Dratch from Saturday Night Live.
Maxwell Warren’s Ellard Simms, the supposedly slow-witted heir, was another highlight. His bond with Charlie, and his delight in “teaching” him English, gave us some of the funniest and most heartfelt scenes. Robbie Cromwell’s Reverend David Marshall Lee, however, was all menace beneath his pious facade, plotting to rob Ellard of his inheritance with the help of hooligan, Owen Musser (Dennis Purdie), whose malice was chilling. Brooke Boyd, as Catherine Simms, played her role with just the right mix of innocence and naiveté, confiding her secrets to Charlie with hilarious vulnerability.
And then there was Bronson as Charlie—the heart of the show. For much of the first act, he speaks hardly a word, relying instead on brilliant silent acting, physical comedy, and made-up gibberish that had the audience in stitches. His bizarre “foreign” customs, frantic hand gestures, and childlike frolicking were priceless. When he finally finds his voice, the transformation is triumphant.
Still, The Foreigner isn’t all laughs. Shue deliberately turns to darker themes in the second act. Prejudice, hatred, and even the Ku Klux Klan appear, forcing the comedy into sharp contrast with the realities of fear and bigotry. This can be uncomfortable—some audience members clearly felt unsettled—but that discomfort is the point. The villains are never made sympathetic; they are a reminder of how destructive hate can be.
When I first saw the show decades ago, I missed this deeper layer entirely. I was too young, and America was in a different place. Today, the themes hit harder. Watching prejudice, division, and hatred unfold onstage felt painfully relevant. Yet hidden within that discomfort is the play’s greatest message: courage, kindness, and community can overcome fear.
Charlie begins as a painfully shy man afraid to speak to strangers. By listening, caring, and believing in others, he becomes the unlikely hero. The Klan is exposed not as powerful but as absurd and vile. And in the end, the good guys—armed only with compassion, bravery, and humor—win.
After the show, I overheard audience members praising the impeccable comedic timing, while others admitted to feeling shaken by the darker elements. My hope is that every viewer leaves thinking more deeply about how dangerous prejudice truly is—and how vital kindness and acceptance are in fighting it.
Directors Howard and Kathryn Little deserve credit for balancing the sharp comedy with the serious material, never letting the villains become appealing, while still keeping the humor front and center. The set—designed to evoke a rustic fishing lodge—worked well in this intimate stage secluded in the Pleasant Grove library. The costumes were fine but Catherine’s attire occasionally felt more 1980s than 1930s. The thunder and lightning effects were impressively authentic, though the sound of pouring rain dragged on a bit too long in Act I.
Overall, this was a masterful production of one of the great American comedies. Larry Shue’s The Foreigner uses laughter to sneak up on its audience, then delivers a lasting reminder that goodness, acceptance, and courage are stronger than fear and hate.
