BLT’s ‘A Tuna Christmas’ a must-see for holidays

Published 6:00 am Friday, December 8, 2000

Brookhaven Little Theatre presents the hilarious TonyAward-nominated comedy hit “A Tuna Christmas” as the firsttheatrical offering of the 2000-2001 season.

Written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, anddirected by BLT’s Angela Johnston, this sequel to “Greater Tuna”brings Texas-style holiday cheer to Brookhaven. Funny and poignant,this show is a must-see to usher in the first Christmas of the newmillennium.

“A Tuna Christmas,” which opened Thursday night, is a wonderfulcomedy about Texas’ third-smallest town during Christmastime. Aswith the original, the citizens who make up the population of Tunaare all portrayed by only two actors.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

A daunting task, perhaps, for lesser men, but not for BLT’s ownveteran funny men James Minter and David Parker who, with perfecttiming and split-second costume changes, delightfully depict all ofthe inhabitants of Tuna. Yes, all 24 of them, including men, women,children and animals!

Come join the holiday cheer in Tuna where it’s 24 hours beforeChristmas and all comic hell is about to break loose. Our storybegins at the OKKK radio station, where Minter and Parker portrayradio DJ team Willis and Struvie.

The announcers play off each other perfectly as they makeprofound observations on life (such as noticing that the price ofcantaloupes was higher than a city skirt) and feature commercialbreaks from such sponsors as Didi Snavely, the chain-smoking ownerof Didi’s Used Weapons.

“God forbid anyone should become victim to a Christmas theft!Come to Didi’s Used Weapons, where you can have a Holly JollyChristmas and the criminal can have a Silent Night.”

And Petey Fisk for the Greater Tuna Humane Society, who urgeseveryone not to give exotic animals as gifts this season.

“Give nature some space and it won’t try to kill you.”

Next, we see Parker as Bertha Bumiller, long-suffering wife andmother of three, whose youngest son has just brought home a verypregnant cat. Her teen-age daughter Charlene imagines herselfartistic and bohemian and Bertha’s oldest son, Stanley, is ajuvenile delinquent doing community service in Tuna’s hometownproduction of “A Christmas Carol.” By the way, Minter plays allthree of Bertha’s ill-fated offspring.

It’s time for Tuna’s annual yard decorating contest. Vera Carp’s15-year winning streak seems to be in jeopardy as Helen Bedd andAnita Goodwin, waitresses at Tasty Kreme, make a bid for the prizewith their theme of “All I want for Christmas,” featuring largestockings stuffed with life-size cowboy mannequins.

No one’s decorations seem to be safe, however, from themysterious Christmas Phantom, who has been systematicallyvandalizing yard decorations before the judges can declare awinner.

Tuna, Texas, may be small, but Minter and Parker show us thereis nothing small about the personalities, including Carp, presidentof the Smut Snatchers of the New Order, whose son Virgil will soonbe off to military school in No Hope, Ariz. Dixie and Pearl are twoelderly women who sing to the blue jays while cocking a slingshotand planning more than a little mischief for Christmas thisyear.

Weary, but still smiling, director Angela Johnston says theactors have “done it themselves.”

Ah, but we all know better! Johnston has given us a wonderfulproduction, the result of much hard work, sleepless nights, blood,sweat, and tears. As always, the director’s job is an intimidatingand often thankless one.

Although not originally slated to direct the show, Johnstonstepped in, shouldered a monumental task and has made theimpossible seem easy, with a rookie crew consisting of teenagersand a few young-at-heart adults. Teen interns Talita Williams andJessica Smith have been with Johnston from the very beginning,through rough blocking, set construction and dress rehearsals.

Those of us who have worked backstage will appreciate thecolossal task taken on by this crew of fresh-faced young men andwomen. The numerous and often complicated set changes are smoothlyand quickly done by a hard-working and dependable backstage crewthat includes Tina Smith, Trent Maddox, Danielle Steckler, JoePortrey, Logan Portrey, and Trevor Portrey.

The backstage hustle and bustle is all under the watchful eye ofStage Manager Angela Portrey who, as if that isn’t enough, has alsotaken on the responsibility of Properties Manager, with a littlehelp and tutelage from BLT backstage guru Jan Kincade.

Janis Meyer, Costume Mistress Extraordinaire, has come shiningthrough with delightful costumes. They are a work of comedic artthemselves, giving more personality to the characters while beingeasy to get in and out of, which is an absolute must for thisproduction where the actors walk off the stage as one characterand, literally seconds later, walk back on as a totally differentcharacter. Meyer is a bit concerned about the stars of this show,however, saying that walking in heels has come far too easily toMinter and Parker.

And hats off to Jimmy Dempsey, who has done it yet again!Through tireless efforts in research and experimentation, Dempseyhas once again proven that no special effect is too difficult orimpossible to accomplish. From lights to sound, his special effectsare out of this world, literally — you’ll just have to see it tobelieve it.

Who will win this year’s OKKK yard decorating contest? Who isthe mysterious Christmas Phantom? Will Bertha’s worthless husband,Hank, come home for Christmas? To find out, come join BLT forChristmas, Texas-style!

Performances continue Friday and Saturday at the Haven. Curtaintime is at 7:30 p.m.