A Tuna Christmas

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A Tuna Christmas
Written byJaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard
Date premiered1989 (1989)
Original languageEnglish
Series Greater Tuna , Red, White and Tuna , and Tuna Does Vegas
GenreComedy
SettingTuna, Texas
Official site

A Tuna Christmas is the second in a series of comedic plays (preceded by Greater Tuna and followed by Red, White and Tuna and Tuna Does Vegas), each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. The trilogy was written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. The plays are at once an affectionate comment on small-town, Southern life and attitudes but also a withering satire of same. The plays are notable in that two men play the entire cast of over twenty eccentric characters of multiple genders and various ages. The first play, Greater Tuna , debuted in 1981 in Austin; A Tuna Christmas debuted in 1989 with touring ending in 2012 after Sears' retirement from the troupe.

Contents

Williams and Sears regularly toured the country to perform all four plays, with Howard directing. Sears and Williams did command performances of both Greater Tuna and A Tuna Christmas at the White House for President George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush.

A videotaped performance of A Tuna Christmas is available on VHS and DVD.

The play continues to be regularly performed across the country to positive reviews. [1]

Cast of characters

Performed by Williams:

Performed by Sears:

Plot

The plot of A Tuna Christmas centers on the town's annual Christmas Yard Display Contest, won 14 times in a row by Vera Carp. A mysterious "Christmas Phantom", known for vandalizing the yard displays, threatens to throw the contest into turmoil. Among the subplots are Stanley Bumiller's attempts to end his probation and leave Tuna, Bertha Bumiller's trying to hold her family together at Christmas time, and Joe Bob Lipsey's struggle to mount successfully his production of A Christmas Carol despite numerous vexations and obstacles.

Honors for A Tuna Christmas

Joe Sears:

Jaston Williams:

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References

  1. ‘Tuna Christmas’ kicks off season of gay holiday plays
  2. "www.greatertuna.com/video/ATCVid1.asx" (ASX). www.greatertuna.com. Archived from the original on 2007-08-23.
  3. "Greater Tuna: Home - Tuna General Store - A Tuna Christmas video". Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2007-12-05.