Theater productions can transport audiences to places they’ve never been, from fictional lands of intrigue to ones rooted in historical context. For Santa Monica High School’s (Samohi) fall play offering, the cast and crew will craft a journey 40 years in the past with ever-present thematics.
The Foreigner, written in 1984 by Larry Shue, tells a farcical tale that adds levity to themes of prejudice, allowing audiences to be entertained and informed at the same time. The story centers around an Englishman in rural Georgia, a shy man who the locals are convinced cannot understand their conversations, leading to divulged secrets and sentiments of bigotry.
"We’re addressing issues of xenophobia, [being] afraid of the other, afraid of somebody who’s different," said Samohi Theater Director Katheryne Barraza. "And by doing that, it just kind of sheds a lot of light on human nature, and it kind of breaks it down in a comedic way that I think is easy to digest for audience members."
Barraza studied Shue’s story before picking The Foreigner, learning about the playwright’s adolescence in 20th century Georgia where residents were in camps of racism and anti-racism. Wanting "the good guys" to be victorious, Shue wrote the play to widespread acclaim, premiering on Broadway in 1984 with Matthew Broderick as the lead. The two-act comedy has since earned honors such as two Obie Awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards as Best New American Play and Best Off-Broadway Production.
After last year’s production of 1984, Barraza wanted to switch to a comedy to give her students different acting techniques and new challenges. The performances will have two separate casts, one performing 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. on Nov. 4; while the other takes the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 and 3 p.m. on Nov. 5. All shows take place at the Samohi Humanities Center Theater.
Barraza noted that the students took to the material "instantly" and that both casts "get the intricacy of it."
"When I read it, without anybody doing it, just by myself, I was actually laughing out loud … there’s just some jokes that the way that they land are just super funny," Barraza said. "I would say that’s the main reason [I picked it], because I think students are inclined toward comedy, they like funny stuff. And they tend to have a really joyful experience when they’re doing comedy."
Within the laughs will come poignant, relevant teachings about discrimination in an increasingly polarized world. Barraza says that even during a "tense time," what people can agree on is the "quirkiness of human nature" and the absurdities of misunderstanding.
"People who are ignorant, [it’s] not even because they’re bad people, but they maybe didn’t know what it’s like to meet somebody different," she said.
Tickets for The Foreigner performances can be purchased on the Samohi Theatre website, with any unsold tickets being made available at the door.
