Stranger in a Strange Land

Charlie's a nice guy going through a rough patch. His wife told him she only has six months to live, yet he can't shake the suspicion that she's been cheating on him for quite some time. He also finds himself to be a trifle boring, which makes him nervous in social settings. That's causing him some angst right now, because his friend, Froggy, has arranged for the two of them to spend some time relaxing at a fishing resort in rural Georgia. Charlie dreads having to make conversation with the other guests, but Froggy has a plan: He'll tell everybody Charlie doesn't speak English, so he won't have to chat with anyone. The plan is foolproof, except that while Charlie may not have to speak, he sure does have to do a lot of listening. It seems everybody at the resort has some sort of secret, and the guy who can't understand the language becomes the father confessor of choice. What's a poor, socially-awkward guy have to do catch a break? In Larry Shue's zany farce, The Foreigner, the longer Charlie keeps up his pretense, the deeper he gets in a web of deception and lies. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents The Foreigner at 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 28, on the Browning Mainstage at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road; 314-968-4925 or www.repstl.org). The show continues through Sunday, December 23, (every night except Monday) and tickets are $16 to $79.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Nov. 29. Continues through Dec. 23, 2012