AUSTIN, Texas — It’s a small Texas cast telling a story about a small Texas town, but the laughs are anything but small. A Tuna Christmas is now playing at Penfold Theatre, bringing big holiday humor to Central Texas audiences.
Actors Will Mercer and Kirk Kelso sat down with Sierra Waggoner to set the stage and share more about the festive comedy.
Actors Will Mercer and Kirk Kelso sat down with Sierra Waggoner to set the stage and share more about the festive comedy.
“This show is set in the third smallest town in Texas — Tuna, Texas. It centers around a local radio station’s yard display contest and all the shenanigans that happen around who’s going to win, who’s being sabotaged, and the politics and relationships of small-town Texas. You get to see all the people you’ve ever known. If you’ve ever lived in or around a small town in Texas, you get it,” Mercer said.
Both actors praised the rehearsal process and working with director Bob Talarico, who has close ties to the original production. “We’ve been very fortunate because Bob Talarico was really in the thick of things when the original cast was touring. I knew he was on top of the whole production and very connected to it,” Kelso said. PhotoCredit- Steve Rogers Photography
The production features the two actors portraying a wide range of characters throughout the performance. “My roles are part of the Jaston Williams section of the show. I play Arles, Stevie Dee, Dee Snavely, Vera Carp, Stanley Miller, and several others — 11 characters total. My favorite to play is Vera, because she’s just so sharp and catty,” Kelso said.
This show is set in the third smallest town in Texas — Tuna, Texas. It centers around a local radio station’s yard display contest and all the shenanigans that happen around who’s going to win, who’s being sabotaged, and the politics and relationships of small-town Texas. You get to see all the people you’ve ever known. If you’ve ever lived in or around a small town in Texas, you get it,” Mercer said PhotoCredit- Steve Rogers Photography
Mercer also takes on 11 roles of his own. “I’m on the Joe Sears track, playing Thurston Willis, the local radio host; Bertha B. Miller, the mom of three crazy kids; R.R. Snavely, the town drunk; and Aunt Pearl Burras, a local legend. My favorite to play is Aunt Pearl,” Mercer said.
Mercer added that Talarico’s firsthand experience brought a unique energy to rehearsals. “When you’re building all of these different characters, it’s different voices and different physicality. Having Bob in the room telling stories about what happened on Broadway, what Joe did, what Jaston did, or even something that happened once in Oklahoma — having that as part of the rehearsal process is amazing,” Mercer said.PhotoCredit- Steve Rogers Photography
Both actors praised the rehearsal process and working with director Bob Talarico, who has close ties to the original production. “We’ve been very fortunate because Bob Talarico was really in the thick of things when the original cast was touring. I knew he was on top of the whole production and very connected to it,” Kelso said.
Mercer added that Talarico’s firsthand experience brought a unique energy to rehearsals. “When you’re building all of these different characters, it’s different voices and different physicality. Having Bob in the room telling stories about what happened on Broadway, what Joe did, what Jaston did, or even something that happened once in Oklahoma — having that as part of the rehearsal process is amazing,” Mercer said.
During the interview, Mercer and Kelso also played a round of Fact or Fiction: Texas Towns Edition, putting their knowledge of real and fictional Lone Star towns to the test.
For more information about A Tuna Christmas, including showtimes and tickets, visit Penfold Theatre’s at penfoldtheatre.org!
For more information about A Tuna Christmas, including showtimes and tickets, visit Penfold Theatre’s at penfoldtheatre.org!