by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
Players by the Sea in Jacksonville Beach opened its annual December show with the Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jason Williams’ comedy A TUNA CHRISTMAS.
This sequel to the hit Greater Tuna is the story of twenty-two residents of Tuna Texas on Christmas Eve and they are all played by two actors, Anthony Hodge and Tom Ming and a vast wardrobe with lots of wigs.
The plot presents several comical questions: Who will win the holiday lawn display trophy that has been won for fourteen years by Vera Carp? Where will the mysterious Christmas Phantom strike next as he or she plays havoc destroying yard displays all over town? Will the Smut Snatchers committee that censors events in the town close down the annual version of A Christmas Carol? Or will the City cut off the electricity to the playhouse for an over due light bill? There are many other hilarious subplots to keep you on the edge of your seat for over laugh filled hours.
The amazing part of this show is that Mr. Hodge and Mr. Ming give each of the eleven roles they each play distinctive personalities not only with the amazing costume changes, but also with different voices and body language. At the end of the show they received a rousing standing ovation for their incredible timing and unique characterizations. It was richly deserved.
John Pope, a polished and professional character actor who has appeared with every theatre in town in two short years in Jacksonville, did a magnificent job of direction. He put in those little bits of business for the actors to do that put this show over the top. (One of my favorites was the invisible dog.)
Set Designer Anne Roberts has fashioned the outline of the state of Texas, using the back walls as the top of the state and a hardwood floor on the stage as the remainder of the Lone Star State. It is a truly unique and eye catching design.
The costume queen sisters strike again!! Yes, Camela Grogan & Dorina Pitts, costume designers extraordinaire fashioned the colorful and at times very funny clothing, They, no doubt used a ton of velcro in designing them so they could be changed in less than a minute.
Stage Manager Merrylin Opendo and her stage crew, Joanne Stovall, Gayle Featheringill, and Ruth Thomas handled the lighting-quick set changes. They moved seven different Christmas trees on and off for the various scenes in the play and they made it look easy!
Ryan Maloney as Technical Director created a visual feast with the lights, and was right on the money with all the many sound effects and the wonderful music during the scene changes.
Kudos as well to Joanne Stovall in charge of the props, for locating the many wacky items that found their way on to the set.
A Christmas Tuna is a lot of silliness that explores many stereotypes, but if you listen very closely there is a lot of truth and reality in this fast paced show. As one of the characters said, “Censorship is as American as apple pie”, and Director Pope edited out the few minor profanities I knew existed in the script. Oh, there are a couple of cheap low scale laughs in the show, but they are few and far between and it is mostly just good clean fun.
Ming and Hodge are at their funniest in Act II, as restaurant waitresses at the Tastee Freeze, but I am sure you will have your favorite character before the night is over.
Don’t miss this show; it is the funniest of the year. A Christmas Tuna runs through December l6th at Players by the Sea, l06 Sixth Street, Jacksonville Beach. The 24 hours a day reservation number is 249-2022. Visit their excellent website to see pictures from the show and for more information. www.playersbythesea.org.
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