Nothing sings the style of season quite like the idiosyncrasies of small town life. Red Barn confirms it with this year’s holiday offering, “A Tuna Christmas.”
The play follows the actions and quirks of 20 distinct characters, all played by just two strong comedic leads, David Black and Brandon Beach. Directed by Mike Marrero, the onstage antics run through Jan. 13.
A sequel to the 1981 play, “Greater Tuna,” this festive continuation sees the return of cult characters who reside in the fictional burg of Tuna, the “third smallest town in Texas.” The original play, written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, premiered in Austin, Texas in 1981. Met with a tremendous audience response, the play saddled up and moseyed on to New York and an Off-Broadway run. From there, the cult offering gained further traction with an HBO special and a special performance at the White House. By 1985, it was the most-produced play in the United States.
The sequel grounds itself with simple vignettes peeking into family dynamics, a small town’s holiday decorations contest, and the fate of a theater in danger of having its lights cut off due to unpaid bills. The appeal is broad enough that audience members don’t need any previous knowledge of the Tuna-verse.
The Texas twang lands this season on a tropical island with Red Barn’s rendition of the much-loved work. Black and Beach step into cowboy boots, high heels, fake mustaches and impressive bouffants to embody the 20 personas, each with its own comedic tone and timing. No easy feat, but anyone familiar with Key West theater knows these two actors are up to the task.
The play opens on two radio personalities reporting on the holiday going-ons of their small town. Beach’s simple refrain of “it does” twinkles with a funny sense of itself and literally sets the stage for what’s to come. Even in a subtle opener like this, it’s apparent Black and Beach have the comedic charm to pull off two acts just between them. They slip in and out of different vocal tones as smoothly as they make their quick backstage costume changes. The real joy of their performances, though, is that the audience can legitimately feel how much fun these two are having.
Marrero’s direction adds to the tone of the play, with his signature touch of controlled eccentricity. Marrero is in his element with works that have a heart, but also allow for a strong measure of fun. Here, his style is on full display as a no-f’s-given approach to telling holiday tales through unconventional characters. He expertly skates the line of absurdity without falling into something unleashed. With the heavy lifting of his talented actors, Marrero elicits a genuine emotional response from the audience.
Red Barn Theatre plays to its strengths, paring down set and staging elements to a minimum and placing the emphasis on the costumes, mannerisms and words of its actors. It also recognizes that at this time of year, audiences want something light. They want to see familiar faces. They want to laugh, to be distracted, to enjoy themselves.
”A Tuna Christmas,” with its relatable, if exaggerated, scenes of small town life fits the holiday bill just right.
