Firebox Theatre Presents: The Foreigner by Larry Shue
By Darian Kiener, Editorial Assistant
(From Left to right) Ruthie Martinez as Betty, Cora Hemphill as Catherine, David Holt as Charlie, Thom Christensen as Froggy, and Xenon Winslow as Ellard
I recently visited Firebox Theatre for a viewing of the play: “The Foreigner” by Larry Shue, a comedy about a socially anxious British man named Charlie who visits Georgia to escape the sad reality of his life in the UK. During his visit, he finds that his social anxiety is a barrier to his communication, and thus creates the character of “the Foreigner” that propels the comedy of the play.
This play was put on in a black box stage which made for a very intimate viewing experience. Because of this experience, every act of the play seemed to take the viewer out of their world and put them in this fictional one, which is a testament to the production, set design, and seating arrangement provided by Firebox.
The set design itself was superb, fully focused on one setting, that being the living room of the character Betty's house. It was homey in all the right ways, with rugs, a coffee table, comfortable-looking couches, bookshelves, and a dining table that reminded me of the table I have in my kitchen. The result was a set as inviting to the audience as it was to the actors that filled the space with life.
(Left to Right) David Holt as Charlie, Ben Apple as Owen
(Left to Right) Matthew Delaney as Reverend David, Cora Hemphill as Catherine
That said, I must speak on the profound talent of all the actors featured in this play. Each actor assumed their role, perfecting the accents, comedic timing, and delivery of their lines.I must commend the actors who played the antagonists in this play: Matthew Delaney, who played Reverend David; and Ben Apple, who played Owen. I know their performance was excellent because I left the theater hating their characters’ personalities and motivations so much that I struggled to disconnect the actor from the character. I was affected by the performance of Xenon Winslow who played Ellard; it was heartwarming to see how their character persisted and grew throughout the play despite Ellard’s intellectual disability. I cannot overstress the believability, comedy, and great delivery of the actors Ruthie Martinez as Betty, Cora Hemphill as Catherine, David Holt as Charlie, and Thom Christensen as Froggy.
In summary, I was blown away by the talent and hard work of both the cast and the crew in this production, and I cannot wait to see more of their performances as they grow as a theater company. I hope to see the readers of The Wake Forest Review at their next show.
(Left to Right) Thom Christensen as Froggy, Ruthie Martinez as Betty
Xenon Winslow as Ellard
You can find more information about the Firebox Theatre here: https://www.fireboxtheatre.com/about
All Photographs were taken by Camille Mahs whose work can be found here:
camillesworldphotography.com @camillesworldphoto
Darian Kiener is an author and poet from Wake Forest, NC who joined The Wake Forest Review team in January 2024 as an Editorial Assistant. He graduated in December of 2023 with a B.A in English from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. His writing has been featured in The Coraddi Fine Arts Magazine, Atlantis Creative Magazine, and The Wake Forest Review, along with a few others. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing hockey, reading, cooking and learning. Some of his interests include astronomy, history, and philosophy. He has high hopes to get accepted into graduate school to study post-modern literature and poetry.