MCT (Methacton Community Theater) once again brings the dining plus live performance experience to the Montgomery County area! For 2016, MCT has partnered with The Empress Room to bring you THE FOREIGNER, a fun-filled, two-act comedy by American playwright Larry Shue. This dinner and a show package opens on Sunday, March 13th and continues on Friday and Saturday evening, March 18th and 19th and the afternoon of Sunday, March 20th. The Empress Room is a BYOB banquet facility located on DeKalb Pike next to St. Helena’s Church in Blue Bell.
The setting is a resort-style fishing lodge in rural Georgia owned by Betty Meeks and often visited by “Froggy” LeSueur, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base. This trip “Froggy” has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. So before departing, “Froggy” tells all assembled that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. But once Charlie is left on his own the fun really begins! Taking the explanation that he’s a non-English speaking foreigner as fact, the lodge’s guests quickly begin revealing their secrets. Charlie overhears more than he should and soon discovers there are many scandals and sinister activities amongst the residents of Tilghman County! The audience’s knowledge that he does in fact understand what is being said serves to fuel the nonstop hilarity and sets up the wildly funny climax in which things go uproariously awry for the “bad guys,” and the “good guys” emerge triumphant.
The role of Charlie Baker is played by Kevin Walters of Jenkintown. Brenda Hunsberger of Collegeville is Betty Meeks with Pat McGurk of Schwenksville as Sgt. Froggy LeSueur. Tilghman County residents Reverend David Marshall Lee and his fiancée, Catherine Simms, are played by James Corkum of Creamery and Rachel Diamond of Souderton. The characters of Ellard Simms (Alexis Ross of Collegeville) and Owen Musser (Geoff Randall of Schwenksville) round out the cast.
MCT has been active in the community since 1977 performing throughout the Worcester, Lower Providence and Collegeville/Trappe areas. THE FOREIGNER marks MCT’s eighth dinner and a show offering and the first for The Empress Room venue. The show is under the direction of Kate McShane of Worcester with Loretta Rurode and Lauren Franz of Eagleville producing. Set design is by Harvey Perlman of Huntington Valley and Ken Brown of Mount Clare with Light and Sound Design by Tom Dinnella of Collegeville and Heather Bernard of West Chester. This production of THE FOREIGNER has been made available through special permission by Dramatists Play Service, 440 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016.
THE FOREIGNER dinner show package will be offered on Friday and Saturday evening, March 18 and 19, 2016 with hors d’oeuvres and dinner beginning at 6:30 PM and Sunday afternoons, March 13 and 20, 2016 beginning at 1:30 PM. Dinner and the show will be held in The Empress Room banquet hall located at 1489 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA next to St. Helena’s Catholic Church. Cost is $48.00 per person and includes appetizers, dinner, beverages (water, coffee, tea, etc.), dessert, tax, gratuity and the show. You are invited to BYOB – glasses will be provided. Reservations are required. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended.
Make plans to come out with family and friends to enjoy an afternoon or evening of dining and laughter! Reservations, ticket purchasing and further information, including the buffet menu, can be obtained by calling the theater at (610) 489-6449 or visiting MCT’s show information page on the web at http://www.methactoncommunitytheater.org/subpages/The%20Foreigner.html. The Empress banquet room seats round tables of 8. When ordering tickets as part of a larger group, please let us know the number and name(s) in your party so that your entire party can be seated together. We look forward to seeing you at The Foreigner!
Theater/Organization Methacton Community Theater
Theater/Organization Website: http://www.methactoncommunitytheater.org
Theater/Organization Address: The Empress Room 1489 Dekalb Pike Blue Bell, Pennsylvania 19422 (Map It)
Theater/Organization Phone: (610) 489-6449
