The Nerd is a farcical comedy by Larry Shue about Willum Cubbert, a mild-mannered architect whose orderly life is thrown into comic disarray by the arrival of Rick Steadman, an almost inconceivably obnoxious, socially oblivious war buddy who once saved Willum's life and has now come to collect on that debt by moving in and refusing to leave. Rick's baffling social ineptitude, over-familiar behavior, and bizarre party games alienate Willum's friends, sabotage his career prospects, and threaten his budding romance, all while Willum feels honor-bound by gratitude to tolerate behavior that would otherwise be intolerable. As Rick's presence grows more disruptive, Willum's friends conspire to help drive him out, leading to an escalating series of pranks and confrontations. Shue, who also wrote The Foreigner, builds the comedy on the tension between social obligation and personal sanity, milking maximum discomfort from Rick's cluelessness. Its broad physical comedy and single unforgettable title character have made it a favorite showcase role for community theater comic actors.

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