Play Around With The Folks Of Tuna, Texas
From Jim Kershner’s SPOTLIGHT column, February 23, 1997: A BIG ‘TUNA’ BOO-BOO I made an embarrassing mistake in my preview story Thursday about the Lake City Playhouse’s version of “Greater Tuna.” I said the cast consisted of two men and two women. Well, it turns out that Cary Allison, identified as one of the women, is anything but. He’s a guy, as he subsequently informed me. My only excuse is that in “Greater Tuna,” men usually play all or most of the women’s roles. Allison, in fact, will play some of the women’s roles as well as many of the men’s roles. This show features 20 characters played by four actors (three men, ONE woman). Sorry about that, Cary.
Theater
All 20 of the good citizens of Tuna, Texas, will be on stage in Coeur d’Alene at the Lake City Playhouse’s production of the comedy staple “Greater Tuna” beginning this weekend.
And all 20 will be played by only four actors. You’ll meet a platitudinous Reverend Spikes, a housewife who thinks “Romeo and Juliet” should be banned for obscenity, and an alcoholic who sees far more UFOs than the average person.
“Greater Tuna” is one of most-produced stage comedies of the last 20 years because it presents such a hilarious portrait of the small minds in a small town. This fictional Texas town is a combination of Mayberry and Redneckville. It’s a town where “the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.”
The show’s omnipresence on community theater stages also stems from the fact that it requires virtually no set and only four actors. Actually, in its original form it required only two actors - the two men played all of the women’s parts, too. But in this production, there will be two women, Cary Allison and Molly Warfield, along with the men, Darrell Louks and Robert Carl.
The director is Skip Frazier.
It opens Friday and continues Saturday, Sunday, Feb. 28, March 1-2 and 6-8. All shows are at 8 p.m. except the Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and $8 for children under 13. Call (208) 667-1323 for reservations.
The Lake City Playhouse is Coeur d’Alene’s community theater, located at 14th and Garden.
‘Amadeus’
The Eastern Washington University Theatre presents this acclaimed drama about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, “Amadeus,” beginning Friday.
This Peter Shaffer tour-de-force was a smash in London and New York in 1979, and it was made into the Oscar-winning movie by Milos Forman. It’s about the jealousy of Salieri and the true meaning of genius.
The EWU production features theater major Ben Dyck as Mozart and theater professor Gene Engene as Salieri. Theater instructor Don McLaughlin directs.
“Amadeus” opens Friday and continues Saturday and Feb. 25-28 and March 1. All shows are at 8 p.m. except the matinee on Feb. 26 at 10 a.m.
Tickets are $5, available by calling 359-6400 or at the door. EWU students with I.D. are admitted free. All performances are at the University Theatre on the Cheney campus.
‘The Learned Ladies’
Gonzaga University’s theater arts department presents Moliere’s classic comedy “The Learned Ladies (Les Femmes Savantes)” beginning tonight.
This 1672 comic masterpiece deftly pokes fun at pretentious and over-educated women (and at pretentious men, for that matter). It is generally considered one of the finest of Moliere’s social satires. Assistant professor John Rustan directs.
“The Learned Ladies” opens tonight and continues Friday, Saturday, Feb. 26-28 and March 1-2 in the Russell Theatre on the Gonzaga campus. All shows are at 8 p.m., except the March 2 matinee at 2 p.m.
Admission is $7, $3.50 for students, children and seniors. For tickets and information, call 328-4220, ext. 3153.
‘Cream of Wit’
Due to strong response, Unexpected Productions has added a Friday showing of this loosely organized improvisational comedy event, “Cream of Wit.”
It is similar to a “theatersports” improv competition, but nobody keeps score. This local troupe competes only to make the audience laugh, which they did quite often during their last performance two weeks ago, which I attended.
The audience calls out ideas for skits, scenes and songs, and the rest is up to the inventiveness of the eight-person troupe.
It’s a fun and unusual evening of comedy Friday at 9 p.m. at the Spokane Falls Community College Theater. Tickets are $6, or $5 for students with I.D. Call 747-7045 for reservations, or show up at the door.
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