"A Tuna Christmas"

December 15, 2019 — This madcap comedy is set in the now fictitious town of Tuna, Texas, although the Texas State Historical Association says such a community once existed. The Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire presented A Tuna Christmas by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams, directed by Players artistic director Gus Kaikkonen, with a cast of only two actors, Tom Frey and Kraig Swartz, playing eleven characters each, both male and female. Scenic design was by Emmy Boisvert. Special mention for this particular production has to go to costume designer Lisa Streett-Liebetrau.

Frey and Swartz, Players audience favorites and two of New Hampshire's finest comic actors, outdid themselves in this frenzy of rapid backstage costume changes, skillfully executed by actors, dressers and director. Swartz had appeared in the play some years earlier, but it was all new to Frey who said he was warned it would feel like being mugged. In one incredible scene, Frey plays two characters, each in different costume, in a shoving match. How? You have to see it!

Christmas is approaching and everyone is wondering if Vera Carp will take the prize for yard decoration for the 15th year in a row. Will the local theater production of A Christmas Carol go on, or will it be scuttled by censors and a threat by the electric company to cut the power because of unpaid bill? This doesn't look good for Stanley, out of prison, who is scheduled to appear in the play  as part of his community service, ending his probation so he can finally get out of this dead-end town. Will the unidentified "phantom" once again vandalize yard decorations?

The dialog is every bit as hilarious as the antics of the actors and the costumes. This is rural Texas, good people with small-town values which can be easily put aside for convenience. Baptists not allowed to drink? Pretend you're a Methodist. Cheating is OK if it helps someone, like fulfilling Stanley's community service.

You might not expect to find Broadway-quality shows in a theater in the New Hampshire woods, but never under-estimate Peterborough Players. This summer theater, established in 1933, has expanded its season to include three live plays in the winter, along with high-definition screenings of productions from the Met and National Theatre and other organizations.