By Robert W. Bethune
The best of StarBrite's production of Norm Foster's play "The Foursome" is four pretty good actors authentically showing us college buddies, facing the real world more or less successfully, dealing with each other and themselves in that mixture of confrontation and consolation that goes on when old friends meet. None of them is about to let the truth about themselves come out too soon or too honestly, so as to put them in second, third or fourth place in their many competitions.
On the other hand, each isn't about to let any of the others get away with much spin, prevarication, concealment or evasion, which all of them employ as much as possible. Last but not least, there's a pastime among buddies, a mixture of provocation and humor designed, above all, to elicit response, to get a rise out of somebody. These are the frogs and snails and puppy dog's tails that these little boys are made of, and that this play is made of.
Like all good comedies, "The Foursome" is about something: the boundaries of friendship, and what tactics can and cannot be used to maintain them. Cameron, played by Michael Lane, really misses his buddies and wants to see more of them, but his buddies aren't crazy about dealing with each other at that emotional level. Ted, played by Greg Bowman; is married to a woman 13 years younger and doesn't want his buddies to know that he isn't sure he can keep her. Rick, ably played by Wayne Bibbs, has his golf game and the world totally under control – until it turns out that he doesn't control certain feelings that could tear this group apart. Last but hardly least, Donnie, played by Dave Donaldson, delivers a portrait of a man who finally figures out that he has nothing to apologize for in placing his family first, regardless of whatever competitions his friends want to conduct among the four of them.
These four actors deliver a strong ensemble. We see them playing a game of golf. Each scene takes place on the tee of one of the 18 holes they play. One hole, rather hilariously, has no dialogue – they're so pissed off they play golf in total silence. They don't lose variety, though the playwright doesn't help much. Every single scene features the tee-off swing of all four players. That structure leads to excellent running gags. Be prepared for a wide variety of golf swings.
The staging is nothing to write home about. It is presented in a converted movie theater in front of a nicely painted backdrop, with two benches, a ball-washer and some potted plants. The director, Ed Thomas, uses the same staging convention to begin and end every single scene, which grows tiresome after a while. And it requires a certain suspension of disbelief to accept actors as former college classmates when the oldest appears about 20 years older than the youngest. Fortunately, the ensemble, the genuine humor and the human interest of the stories that develop are sufficient to make the evening quite enjoyable.
'The Foursome'
StarBrite Presents Dinner Theater at the Premier Entertainment Center, 33151 23 Mile Rd., Chesterfield Township. Fri.-Sat., through June 16. Tickets: $39.95; price includes three-course dinner, show and tax. For information: 586-725-2228 or http://www.starbriteprod.com
