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Peer Reviews A Tuna Christmas Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents copyright © 2008, Keith Waits, all rights reserved
A Tuna Christmas is now in its thirteenth and final year as an annual holiday tradition at Actors Theatre, but this was my first visit to the "third smallest town in Texas." One of a series of comic plays about the 24 citizens of Tuna, Texas, the script takes place on Christmas Eve, bouncing around from the radio station (call letters OKKK) to the local burger joint (Tasty Kreme) and various homes and front porches. While it makes fun of the eccentric and quirky characters and their small-town rural values with a sense of humor pitched as broad as a barn door, it does so with an underlying affection that keeps it from ever becoming mean-spirited.
This latest production was often very funny, but the pacing seemed a little off, resulting in a first act that seemed overlong. The play is comprised of a series of scenes that play like sketch comedy without the narrative momentum that could sustain a full two-act evening. If things lag even a little bit, the energy of the performance suffers. Fortunately, the second act proved more nimble and got back on track in fine style. All 24 characters are played by just two actors, with a dizzying succession of backstage costume changes so adroitly managed that the four dressers who accomplish them are given a curtain call. We do not know their names, but the pair of capable comic actors for this production is Warren Kelly and Brad DePlanche. The facility with which they conjure extreme silliness and even a moment or two of pathos was impressive. I was glad to see a holiday story that aims for pure fun and doesn't get bogged down with cliché and heavy sentiment.
A Tuna Christmas
Updated Nov. 4, 2008
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