Houston Family Arts Center to Stage THE FOREIGNER This Spring

Larry Shue's award winning comedy, THE FOREIGNER, is coming to the Houston Family Arts Center this spring. This madcap farce will debut on the Garza Main Stage March 11, 2016 - April 3, 2016.

"The Foreigner is a staple of theaters across America, and for good reason," says director, Lisa Garza. Watching poor Charlie overhear seemingly private conversations is riotously funny. Not to mention the fact that this play, which premiered in 1985, still deals with very topical issues of race and intolerance, albeit in a comically satisfying way. Charlie struggles with social anxiety so severe that it inhibits his ability to carry on a conversation. Plus he pines for the love of a distant and insensitive spouse. Watching him heal his own heart is one of the most charming events to happen on stage."

The scene is a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by Sergeant "Froggy" LeSeuer, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base. This time "Froggy" has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy young man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. Before departing, "Froggy" tells all assembled that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. Once alone, the fun really begins, as Charlie overhears more than he should with the thought that Charlie doesn't understand a word being said. That he does fuels the nonstop hilarity of the play and sets up the wildly funny climax in which things go uproariously awry for the "bad guys," and the "good guys" emerge triumphant. Winner of two Obie Awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best New American Play and Best Off-Broadway Production.

The entertaining ensemble includes: Sam Martinez (Charlie Baker), Stephanie Osorio (Catherine Simms), Russell Snow (Sergeant "Froggy LeSueur), Jonathan Rozas (Owen Musser), Katie Reed (Betty Meeks), Nick Maudlin (Rev. David Marshall Lee), and Cole Pfaffenberger (Ellard Simms).

The show is guided by: Lisa Garza (director and scenic designer), Michael Montgomery (producer), Lacy Lynn (stage manager), Barbara Terry (costume designer), Ron Putterman (lighting designer), and David Dean (sound designer).

Performances of "The Foreigner" are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., March 11th - April, 3rd on the HFAC Garza Main Stage at Houston Family Arts Center, 10760 Grant Road, Houston, TX 77070. There is no performance on Easter Sunday, March 27. An additional performance has been added on Thursday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets (Adults: $26; Seniors (65+): $22; Students (3-18): $15) are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.houstonfac.com, or by phone at (281) 587-6100. Special pricing is available for groups of 10 or more.

Houston Family Arts Center (HFAC), founded in 2005, is a not-for-profit performing arts and educational organization, with a passion for entertaining, enlightening and engaging audiences in Texas. Recent winner in seven categories for the Broadway World Houston Awards, HFAC has also been named Houston's "Best Gem of a Theater" by the Houston Press and "Best Arts and Entertainment" by the "Best of the Northwest" Readers' Choice awards. HFAC is a proud winner of the prestigious national American Association of Community Theatre Twink Lynch Organizational Award. HFAC produces a broad mix of classics, comedies, dramas, musicals and new works. Through its award-winning Actors Academy, HFAC offers acting and singing classes, and provides performance opportunities for all ages.

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