A Tuna Christmas

Last Sunday afternoon, Judy and I drove down to Galveston to see A Tuna Christmas for the second time. We hadn't seen it in eight or ten years, and we could can always use a good laugh. Believe me, we got plenty of laughs.

Tuna, Texas, is one of our favorite towns, and even though it doesn't exist, it's so much like the towns where we grew up that we feel right at home. In fact, the characters in the play might well be related to us. We had a great time. Joe Sears and Jaston Williams play all 24 characters, and they're hilarious as every one of them. The plot, such as it is, involves the annual Christmas decorating contest, traditionally won by Vera Carp, whose hold on the trophy is now threatened by entries by Didi Snavely and a couple of fast-food workers named Inida Goodwin and Helen Bed. Things are complicated by the predations of the Christmas Phantom, who's been on the loose for years. And then there are the Smut Snatchers, who want to censor the local production of A Christmas Carol.

If you didn't grow up in a small town in Texas, maybe all this wouldn't seem quite so funny. All I can say is that I laughed for two hours, and I'm still smiling three days later. You can check out some video clips here.