Hickory – In Larry Shue’s play The Foreigner, opening October 6th at the Hickory Community Theatre, there is a romantic heart that beats under the hilarious comedy. Two newcomers to the Hickory theatre, one who is in her first play here and one who’s in his second, are featured in the production as a brother and sister who form close relationships with the show’s main character.
Jennifer Marco, a Florida native who’s been in the area for just 10 months, plays Catherine, the sophisticated heiress who is bored with life and unsure of what she wants. Marco has a BA in Theatre from Florida Southern College and also attended the prestigious Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria California. Although a newcomer to the local stage, she is an experienced actress with an extensive list of acting credits that includes over 25 stage productions and two films.
Justin Thomas, who played Rosencrantz in the theatre’s production of Hamlet last February, plays Catherine’s seemingly simple-minded brother Ellard. Thomas is a native of Sawmills, NC who has performed in several productions with Foothills Performing Arts, the resident theatre company at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. He works in maintenance for Merchants Distributors and attends Caldwell Community College. Coincidently, both he and Marco made the decision to audition for this play at the last minute.
The plot centers around Charlie, a guest at a Georgia fishing lodge, who pretends to be a foreigner that doesn’t speak English, because he wants to be left alone. Being left alone is the one thing he does not get, because he winds up a reluctant eavesdropper to the private conversations of other guests and the lodge’s proprietor, who all believe he can’t understand a word, which means their secrets will remain undiscovered. Catherine and Ellard both befriend Charlie who helps them to discover their own inner strengths.
Performances of The Foreigner are October 6th through 29th, Fridays and Saturdays (Oct 6, 7, 20, 21, 27 & 28) at 8pm, Thursdays (Oct 19 & 26) at 7:30pm, and Sundays (Oct 22 & 29) at 2:30pm. There are no performances the weekend of Oct 13-15 due to Oktoberfest.
Tickets are $18. There is a $2 senior discount for Fri/Sat/Sun performances. Tickets for students and youth 18 & under are $10. On Thursday night all adults are $14 and youth/students are $10. Tickets are now on sale online at hickorytheatre.org or through the Theatre box office, in person or by phone at 828-328-2283. Box office hours are 12-5 Wed-Sat from September 27th through October 28th.
The Hickory Community Theatre is a Funded Affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. The 2017-2018 Season is sponsored by Paramount Automotive and A Cleaner World. The Foreigner is produced by Alex Lee, Inc.
PHOTO (L-R): Jennifer Marco and Justin Thomas play siblings Catherine and Ellard in The Foreigner, on stage October 6-29 at the Hickory Community Theatre. For tickets and information call 828-328-2283 or go to hickorytheatre.org. Photo by John Koval.
