"The Foreigner," written by Larry Shue and directed by Gary Boyer continuing weekends through Feb. 15 to open the 50th anniversary season of The Pennsylvania Playhouse, Bethlehem, is a comedy of mistaken identity, intentionally so.

Uptight Englishman Charlie Baker (Steven Schmid) and his friend, Sgt. "Froggy" LeSueur (Fred Broadbent), arrive at a southern lodge. Charlie's upset to the point of catatonic depression because his beloved wife who has been cheating on him with 23 men lays dying in a hospital bed.

Charlie doesn't want to talk to anyone. Froggy tells Betty Meeks (Rhonda Manis), owner of the Fishing Lodge Resort, that Charlie is from a foreign country and no one should speak to him because he's embarrassed that he doesn't speak any English except for "Thank-you."

The plan backfires when everyone at the lodge takes a liking to Charlie, with the exception of Owen Musser (Jim Vivian), who has a deep hatred for immigrants and foreigners and is an active member of the Ku Klux Klan.

Meeks, along with Rev. David Marshall Lee (Jeremy Thompson) and his fiancée, Catherine Simms (Kate Eggings), just can't leave Charlie alone.

A hilarious turn of events ensues when all are fascinated by the idea that they have a foreigner amongst them. Charlie grudgingly learns everyone's secrets because they talk around him, thinking he doesn't know what they're saying.

The play becomes laugh-out-loud funny with the entrance of the droll Ellard Simms (Thomas W. Rush), a dimwitted boy who doesn't know the difference between a carrot and a candlestick.

Character development and romance play an interchangeable role in the comedy. The direction is artfully done. The southern setting feels authentic thanks to the actors' credible accents.

Schmid is impressive as Charlie, especially when he decides to play along when everyone believes him to be foreign. He even invents his own language so he can appear to be more "foreign."

Broadbent stares wide-eyed in disbelief as he portrays an alarmed military man who is not accustomed to such wacky behavior.

Set Design by Brett Oliveira and Gary Boyer, as well as Set Construction and Lighting Design, also by Oliveira, create the mood for a southern-style bed and breakfast.

Costume Designer Brenda McGuire communicates essential information through the outfits chosen for each character. For example, when we are first introduced to Froggy, he's in military attire. Rev. Lee and Catherine Simms are noticeably prim and proper Christians in conservative attire.

"The Foreigner" is an ideal choice for a fun night out. Expect to be impressed when you see how entertaining this show is. In the words of cheerful Charlie, it's very "Blahsney, Blahsney."