THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505050542
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
For the COAST Players spring production, director Sandra Boyce chose ``The Foreigner'' because ``I was looking for a comedy with a small cast that would give each player a good-sized role.''
Another reason she selected that play - ``I read it and fell out of my chair laughing.''
That is usually what happens with this production. Like ``The Nerd,'' also penned by the late Larry Shue, it has become a community/college theater comedy favorite.
College of the Albemarle's COAST Players will present ``The Foreigner'' tonight, Saturday and Sunday at the COA Auditorium.
The story concerns a visitor from Britain holed up in a Georgia inn. He pretends to be deaf, and the conversation around him, plus his reactions, create a lot of fun.
All of the characters are fun, and all the performers seem to be having fun with ``The Foreigner.''
Five of those performers are serious about this acting business - not just this week, but forever.
Sara Westmoreland, a 20-year-old theater arts major at COA, will continue her studies this fall at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
``I've always wanted to perform, ever since I saw ``The Dolly Parton Show'' on television. I wanted to sing. Later I wanted to act,'' said Westmoreland, who sings, acts and directs.
Like most young people looking for a show-business career, she seems to know what she wants.
``After I get my degree I want to teach during the school year, act during the summer,'' Westmoreland said. ``I'm always stuck with being a dumb blonde or an old lady. I'd like to be a heroine, or someone who is really, really evil.''
Amanda Chastain is 13, an eighth-grader at Elizabeth City Middle School, portraying a woman in ``The Foreigner.''
She has done some performing, has spent 10 years as a dance student, many years as a traveling student.
Her father, Maj. Joseph L. Chastain, has been with the Salvation Army in Elizabeth City for nine months, a lifestyle that has created a very self-assured young lady.
``In the last 10 years I lived in four different places,'' Amanda said. ``No problem. I'll never go back to living in one place.''
The places she would like to go later are ``Harvard or Yale. I'll study law as a major. That's my backup plan.''
Amanda's major plan is ``directing on Broadway by the age of 30 - starring there before then. I live for the theater.
``The one here,'' said Amanda, who has an agent in Atlanta, ``is much more interesting than the others.''
Rick Durran, 17, has some devil-may-care dreams.
``I want to travel around the United States and do plays,'' he said. ``I want to do a play in a town, then move on. Money? I'll have to worry about that.''
Rick, who recently moved to Elizabeth City from Virginia Beach, worries about missing some family members, his old friends, his old school, his old drama pals.
``This production is the first thing that's made me feel at home,'' he said. ``We have the same camaraderie we had in Virginia Beach.''
He wants to return to the Old Dominion - specifically, Virginia Military Institute, ``but,'' Rick added, ``UNC in Asheville is a possibility.''
The Northeastern High School junior dances, sings and loves musicals.
If theater doesn't work out, though, he's ready.
``I'll get a job as a police officer.''
Danny Kotzian, 22, a COA student planning to go to East Carolina University, is a Trekkie who wants to lead a ``Star Trek'' life.
``I want to be in a ``Star Trek'' movie,'' he said.
He wants to act no matter what, or where.
``It's an opportunity to forget about your problems,'' Danny said. ``You get hooked on acting - you want to do it over and over again.'' by CNB