A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Greater Tuna

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  2any gender (adult)

by Jaston Williams, Ed Howard and Joe Sears

What do Arles Struvie, Thurston Wheelis, Aunt Pearl, Petey Fisk, Phineas Blye, and Rev. Spikes have in common? In this hilarious send-up of small-town morals and mores, they are all among the upstanding citizens of Tuna, Texas’ third-smallest town.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

The long-running off-Broadway hit features two actors creating the entire population of Tuna, Texas in a tour de farce of quick-change artistry, changing costumes and characterizations faster than a jack rabbit runs from a coyote. Two actors, 20 characters, and a barrel of laughs, y’all.

Greater Tuna was originally produced in 1981 in Austin, Texas by its authors, Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. The play’s stars, Williams and Sears, played all twenty characters, and Howard directed. One year after its premiere, Greater Tuna opened off-Broadway, ran for over a year, and went on to tour major theaters all over America and spots overseas for the next thirty-some years, becoming one of the most produced plays in American theatre history.

History
Greater Tuna was first presented off-Broadway by Karl Allison in association with Bryan Bantry at Circle in the Square in New York City on October 21, 1982. It starred Joe Sears and Jaston Williams and was directed by Ed Howard.

THURSTON WHEELIS, folksy radio host
ELMER WATKINS, head of Klan 249
BERTHA BUMILLER, beleagured housewife
YIPPY, half rat-terrier, half chihuahua
LEONARD CHILDERS, radio station owner and talk-show host
PEARL BURRAS, chicken farmer known for poisoning dogs
R.R. SNAVELY, drunken UFOlogist
REV. SPIKES, cliche spouting preacher
SHERIFF GIVENS, clueless long arm of the law
HANK BUMILLER, Bertha's philandering husband
ARLES STRUVIE, wise cracking radio host
DIDI SNAVELY, owner of Didi's Used Weapons
HAROLD DEAN LATTIMER, the weatherman
PETEY FISK, the one-man Greater Tuna Humane Society
JODY BUMILLER, Bertha's youngest son who collects stray dogs
STANLEY BUMILLER, Bertha's other son, a reform school graduate
CHARLENE BUMILLER, Stanley's twin sister, a cheerleader reject
CHAD HARTFORD, a reporter from Houston
PHINAS BLYE, a near-sighted perennial political candidate
VERA CARP, society matron and vice-president of the Smut Snatchers of the New Order

Note: In the original production of Greater Tuna, all the denizens of Tuna, Texas were played by two actors. It is the opinion of the authors that this greatly increases the fun of the show; but individual producers may expand the cast size at their discretion.

In the original production of Greater Tuna, all the denizens of Tuna, Texas, were played by two actors. It is the opinion of the authors that this greatly increases the fun of the show; but individual producers may expand the cast size at their discretion.

  • Time Period 1980s
  • Setting The fictitious town of Tuna, Texas, about halfway between San Angelo and Hell. The early 80s.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Mime, Physical Comedy
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“Howlingly funny.” – Variety

“The audience all but exploded the theatre with laughter.” – New York Post

“Hilarious, a tribute to the art of acting.” – Washington Post

“Sharp, satiric & funny.” – The New Yorker

“A whale of a funny evening.” – Houston Post

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $130 per performance

Add-Ons

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Authors

Ed Howard

Ed Howard is the co-author of the plays Greater Tuna, A Tuna Christmas, Red, White and Tuna, and Tuna Does Vegas, all published by Samuel French. He also co-authored Splendora, based on the novel by Edward Swift, and book and lyrics of the musicals The Body Snatchers and Boy ...

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Author

Joe Sears

Author

Jaston Williams

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