Funny ‘Foreigner’ perfect finale for Super Summer season

For those who think Super Summer Theatre shouldn't do nonmusicals at the outdoor Spring Mountain Ranch, I give you British National Theatre of America's "The Foreigner" -- about as funny and entertaining a show as any first-rate musical could hope to be.

First-time director Scott Johnson gets Larry Shue's script off to a perfect start with some startling lighting and thunder effects just outside a cabin window. They feel dangerously close. John Kessler's sound and Steven Mack's lights (well-complement by the homey details of Steve Fadale's set) are rich in surprises that enrich the fun of watching the show outdoors.

Johnson also pays close attention to respecting the plot. He allows it to unfold at its own speed.

He's aided by an unforgettable lead performance. When we first meet Miles Coleman as Charlie Baker, he's a reserved, self-tormenting Englishman trying to get himself together by spending a few days at a rural fishing lodge in Georgia. Coleman comes across as a man without a center -- a milquetoast. He also seems loony enough to pretend not to speak English so that the other residents will leave him alone. Just when we start to think of Baker as a sad, dramatic character, Coleman proves himself a master comedian. He executes a series of physical bits made hysterically funny by his ability to make them logical and in character. Coleman has charted Baker's transformation so brilliantly that when his character finally finds strength and peace -- and brings the same to the other good guys in the cabin -- Baker's slow, emotional growth makes perfect sense.

Johnson's seven-member cast is unusually strong. When Joan Mullaney as a the none-too-bright Betty Meeks squeals in delight at Baker's "weird" foreign ways, she makes you feel that being kind is a lot more important than being smart. Ryan Remark, as a slow-learning, young Ellard Simms, is skillfully restrained in his approach to both the poignant and humorous aspects of his character. His sudden discovery that he's not as dumb as he thought gives the climax and additional layer of emotional payoff.

This is lowbrow stuff, sure, but I rarely stopped laughing. And there's nothing lowbrow about the way Johnson has structured the evening. He's brought out the best in his cast. "The Foreigner" is a superb finale to a superb Super Summer season.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat
@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas NV 89125.