A Tuna Christmas

Holiday-themed shows are a favorite in Milwaukee this time of year. They draw in larger then usual crowds and are often appropriate for nearly all ages. Soulstice Theatre opened A Tuna Christmas last Friday with a packed theatre full of people ready for full holiday swing.

A Tuna Christmas is the second play in a series about the fictional town of Tuna, TX written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard. It centers on the town yard decorating contest and a ‘Christmas Phantom’ that sabotages the contest. Traditionally, all the characters are played by just two actors. Soulstice opened their production up to six actors. While this does provide for more elaborate costume changes; it also ushers in a bit of the absurd. When an actor goes from playing a waitress at the Tastee Crème to an old man, is she meant to keep on her massive pink earrings or did she just forget to take them off while backstage?

Much of what makes the Tuna plays so much fun is the ability of the actors to use voice and physicality to switch between characters. Soulstice relies more on costumes and things like wigs, hats and body padding. While some of the choices Soulstice made were fun and definitely in the Tuna spirit, several were superfluous and seemed to serve more to the amusement of the cast than the audience. Nonessential costuming aside, the six actors, Enid Barnes, Jeffrey Berens, Ben Dern, Ken Dillon, Michael Endter and Kelly Simon portray the town of Tuna and its eclectic citizens with the wit and irony intended by the script.

Soulstice Theatre put together a fun show that can certainly be enjoyed by families this December. The satirical humor and occasional ad libs are clever and light.

A Tuna Christmas runs through December 6 at the Marian Center at 3195 S. Superior St. For tickets call 414.431.3187 or visit their website at www.soulsticetheatre.org.