A Tuna Christmas


A Tuna Christmas is the second in a series of comedic plays, each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. The trilogy was written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. The plays are at once an affectionate comment on small-town, Southern life and attitudes but also a withering satire of same. The plays are notable in that two men play the entire cast of over twenty eccentric characters of multiple genders and various ages. The first play, Greater Tuna, debuted in 1981 in Austin; A Tuna Christmas debuted in 1989 with touring ending in 2012 after Sears' retirement from the troupe.
Williams and Sears regularly toured the country to perform all four plays, with Howard directing. Sears and Williams did command performances of both Greater Tuna and A Tuna Christmas at the White House for President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush.
A videotaped performance of A Tuna Christmas is available on VHS and DVD.
The play continues to be regularly performed across the country to positive reviews.

Cast of characters

Performed by Williams:
Performed by Sears:
The plot of A Tuna Christmas centers on the town's annual Christmas Yard Display Contest, won 14 times in a row by Vera Carp. A mysterious "Christmas Phantom," known for vandalizing the yard displays, threatens to throw the contest into turmoil. Among the subplots are Stanley Bumiller's attempts to end his probation and leave Tuna, Bertha Bumiller's trying to hold her family together at Christmas time, and Joe Bob Lipsey's struggle to mount successfully his production of A Christmas Carol despite numerous vexations and obstacles.

Honors for ''A Tuna Christmas''

Joe Sears:
Jaston Williams: