Extraordinary Performances Dominate Tuna

by Andrew Juhl

Old Creamery - I don’t know what it is about the Old Creamery Theatre that I like so much. Maybe it’s the friendly feeling you get when you go to one of their shows, like you’re an old friend, returning home, who they’re glad to see again. Maybe it’s the stellar record of their productions never falling flat. Or maybe it’s simply just that it’s so damn obvious how much they really care about what they put on the stage. Whatever it is, it’s an absolute privilege to continue to be invited to review their performances, with their current run of Red, White & Tuna being no exception.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Tuna series, then a little background: Red, White & Tuna is the third in what is *currently* a quadrology of comedic plays written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. It follows Greater Tuna and A Tuna Christmas, and it precedes the currently touring Tuna Does Vegas. All four plays are set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas (the "third-smallest" town in the state), and are noteworthy by dint that two men—originally Williams and Sears—comprise the entire cast of over two dozen characters of varying ages and genders.

In the Old Creamery’s production—running at their Studio Stage in Middle Amana until September 5th—T.J. Besler and Sean McCall inhabit the cavalcade of ridiculous personas first created by Williams and Sears. I can honestly write, without compunction, that both actors turn in extraordinary performances.

I cannot and would not single out one of their performances over the other, as to do so would insult both, as well as their fantastically developed chemistry and timing. Seeing the opening day performance, I noticed a few stammered lines, but absolutely nothing unforgivable or that takes a viewer out of the moment. It is obvious that both actors have great respect for the source material, and their passion to properly display Tuna’s richness of intricacies is similarly evident. The costume changes were fluid and unobtrusive, and characters were well-defined and did not overlap. Not once in the entire show did I say to myself, well that’s just the same voice and same walk in a different outfit.

Speaking outfits, I have to give credit to the costuming team for their excellent contribution to the show. Not only were they able to design outfits that could be quickly and quietly exchanged, but every single outfit had a touch of comic believability to it that invoked the sincere reaction, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I would expect that character to wear.” The costumes not only complimented, but helped to actually define these characters better than most local productions I can recall attending over the last few years. Not an easy feat when said clothing also has to be stripped off and put on in less than 10 seconds.

The direction and sound are workmanlike in their effectiveness, and though the Studio Stage allows for somewhat limited lighting and stage possibilities, this isn’t so much a detriment to the production as it is an excuse to focus on the exemplary performances of Mr. Besler and Mr. McCall.

This show will make you laugh-out-loud throughout, yet it finely integrates moments of subtle earnestness that prevent Tuna from becoming entirely two-dimensional. I give the production my highest recommendation, and sincerely hope as many of this blog’s readers go see it as possible.