Small town, huge laughs-local troupe presents 'Tuna'

St. Leonard, MD – The very first thing you need to know about the hit comedy play, Greater Tuna, is that it has absolutely nothing to do with tuna fish. As described eloquently by director Didi Olney, Greater Tuna is…”A really funny play set in Tuna, Texas – the third-smallest town in Texas. It’s a hilarious comedy starring just two men who portray a total of 21 different roles including men, women, children and dogs. It depicts the morals and mores of small-town life in the ‘70s and ‘80s”.

And PS: the two brilliant comedic actors Keith Mervine and Scott Jacoby make a dynamic duo and almost manage to render the entire script superfluous. They slip effortlessly into and out of accents and make lightning-fast costume changes (kudos to costumer Laurie Foster and makeup artist Mikayla Mervine) to create each character. I predict that their mere presence onstage is bound to stop the show at many points throughout the evening until the audience’s laughter subsides.

This New Direction Community Theater (NDCT) production opens Friday Oct. 2 and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. Oct. 2, 3, 9 and 10. Sunday matinees are scheduled for 2 p.m. Oct. 4 and 11.

Performances will be held at the Long Beach Community Center located at 5825 Calvert Boulevard in St. Leonard. For reservations you may contact ndcttheater.org or 443-624-4484. Tickets are priced at $12, $10 for students and seniors.

Greater Tuna was written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard. It premiered in 1981 in Austin, Texas. The off-Broadway premiere occurred in 1982. It is presented by special arrangement of Samuel French, Inc., New York.

Greater Tuna is the first in a series of four “Tuna” plays, and was followed by A Tuna Christmas, Red White and Tuna, and Tuna Does Vegas. In each play, two men play the entire cast of over 20 characters of various genders and ages. Williams and Sears regularly tour the country with all four of the plays, and Howard directs.

Sears and Williams made command performance of Greater Tuna, and A Tuna Christmas at the White House for President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara. Following a December 1994 Broadway revival of A Tuna Christmas, Joe Sears received a 1995 Tony award nomination for Best Actor in a Play.

Greater Tuna opens and closes in the studio of radio station OKKK (that’s correct: three Ks) with announcers Thurston Wheelis (Keith Mervine) and Arles Struvie (Scott Jacoby). Scenes switch back and forth from this studio to other settings around town. Note: be prepared for required audience participation in the opening and closing scenes.

Immediately after the opening announcements, Mr. Jacoby becomes DiDi Snavely, a shy and retiring lady who enjoys supplying the citizens of Tuna with everything any red-blooded member of the NRA needs with an ad for her weapons store in town. Then Scott re-appears as weatherman Harold Dean Latimer.

And the radio broadcast continues on with local and world news.

The two actors go on to portray Elmer Watkins (Mervine), local Klan leader and woodworking specialist, and Petey Fisk (Jacoby), the sole volunteer at the Greater Tuna Humane Society. Mr. Jacoby affects an endearing lisp for Petey.

Much of the plot revolves around the Bumiller family. Mr. Mervine takes the role of mom Bertha, while Mr. Jacoby assumes the roles of her 12-year-old son Jody (the dogs just love him), son Stanley (who has a past), and Stanley’s twin sister Charlene (who is depressed because she didn’t make the cheerleading squad). Somehow, amidst all of these rapid costume changes, Jacoby also shows up in Bertha’s living room as reporter Chad Hartford from Houston Intellect magazine who’s come to interview her in regards to the books she seeks to have removed from the local high-school’s library.

Meanwhile, back at station OKKK Station Manager Leonard Childers (Mervine) urges folks to attend the Rock and Roll Record Burning at the Baptist Church and entertains phone calls from Didi Snaveley (Jacoby again), Phinas Blye (Jacoby), and Stanley Bumiller (Jacoby).

We also meet Mr. Mervine’s chicken-loving, dog-hating Pearl Burras, aunt of Bertha.

By intermission, it is obvious that these two actors are masters of disguise, character development and precise timing through their unique blend of camaraderie.

And there is more to come.

The town of Tuna also has its dark side. In Act II, Pearl pays a visit to the local funeral home to view the late Judge’s body, encountering her friend Vera Carp (Jacoby). Stanley also shows up to pay his respects and reveals many secrets in the process.

Sometime later on, we see Vera Carp as she presides over a town meeting, speaking out on bilingual education and other topics. She turns the meeting over to Rev. Spikes (Mervine) for his “live” broadcast of the Judge’s eulogy. This broadcast does not quite work out as planned.

More secrets are revealed when Sheriff Givens (Mervine) brings Stanley in for questioning. Things do not proceed as the audience—or Stanley—might expect!

Despite the myriad storylines and costume changes, most issues of Tuna are satisfactorily resolved by the end of Act II. Be sure to pay attention to the soundtrack which is as hilarious as the live actors’ lines!

Keith Mervine is well-known in local theatre circles for his performances as the Voice of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, as Alan in Come Blow Your Horn, as Lenny in Neil Simon’s Rumors, and recently as Lloyd in the Twin Beach Players production of Noises Off. In June 2015, he received a “best acting” award at the Watermelon One-Act Festival for his performance in Rick Thompson’s Helpless Director. As a Founding Member of NDCT, he dedicates this performance to Philip Kupchella, his late drama coach and mentor.

Greater Tuna marks Mr. Jacoby’s fourth performance with NDCT. Scott could not resist the opportunity to play this collection of male and female rednecks, complete with Texas accents. His brief bio does not mention specific previous roles, but he is obviously completely in his element onstage.

Both Mr. Mervine and Mr. Jacoby give outstandingly hilarious performances in Greater Tuna. Their thespian gifts are evident in every single scene and with each character portrayal. Kudos to Director Olney (a talented comedic actress herself) for her casting decisions and expertise in bringing this comedy to life for NDCT. Kudos also to Stage Manager Cara Brzozowski for her masterful organizational skills and to Keith Mervine for his sound design (along with Rick Thompson). The stage manager, costumer, and makeup artist are adept at the smoothly-controlled backstage mayhem that is probably a show in itself taking place simultaneously with the onstage action.

New Direction Community Theater will be holding Christmas show auditions: everything’s better with pirates, as NDCT’s production of Scalawag’s Christmas will prove. You may become part of this production by attending auditions on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. to be held at the Long Beach Community Center. A third audition will be held Thursday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Southern Library in Solomons. For more information you may call 443-624-4484 or contact ndctheater.org.

NDCT, Calvert County’s newest community theater offers the opportunity to attend quality theater for the PG-13+ audience, acting/backstage theater experience in your backyard, friendly volunteering in a fun atmosphere, children’s opportunities, local performances and no experience is necessary.