Pittsburgh in the Round: I’ve been talking to friends recently about the “should people still do this show?” question. Does the show in question have a place in the climate of the world, is it still relevant and needed? I was reminded of these conversations quite a bit while watching the Duquesne’s Red Masquers production of The Foreigner. It’s easy to write off The Foreigner, written by Larry Shue, as an outdated piece of theatre, but the direction of this show forces it into a different spotlight than that of, ‘it’s funny because he has an accent.’ Why this show now?
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I have a lot of thoughts about this show. I appreciate the author’s carefully considered reaction to the thematic elements, and the way in which Jeffery adapted and cast it. It’s hard to encapsulate exactly how it feels, as an audience member, to watch the KKK burst into someone’s house on stage. I did this show once, and when a director proposed it to me for another venue/production, I gently suggested he go another way. I think it takes a very careful and sensitive cast to present this show appropriately, and even then, the audience might not be receptive to it or able to handle it. Even then, there are many other outdated moments, as the author says, and not just relating to race. It’s an awkward show, in our time. I’d be curious to see this production, which seems to be a more socially advanced production that I’ve seen before, and get a sense of whether the uncomfortable moments can work.
This article discusses the pros and cons of a certain production of The Foreigner. When deciding whether or not to put on a certain play, it is important to look at certain connotations of lines or situations within the play; what was once acceptable may no longer be acceptable. With a play like The Foreigner, it is necessary to be incredibly delicate and precise with how it is being staged and how it is performed; if you slip up, you risk playing off dramatic and serious moments for laughs and not fully addressing the implications of certain lines or scenes. As far as I can tell, the director of this iteration took great care to reimagine this play and, through casting and acting choices, was able to send a new message about the current climate in this country. I do not think that we should shy away from plays that may not go over well with today’s audiences; I think instead, as this director did, that these plays can be reimagined so that they become critical, instead of supportive, of the original message.
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