CONWAY — It’s Christmastime in Tuna, Texas.
Theater patrons can expect to hear all about it when radio personalities Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie come on the air in the upcoming Conway Dinner Theater production of A Tuna Christmas, by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard. Performances will begin Dec. 10.
These two main characters, along with some of the other 20 men, women and children who appear in this comedy, were first introduced to the audience in December 2014 when the Conway Dinner Theater presented Greater Tuna. As before, just two actors portray all 22 characters.
Bill Meehan of Conway returns as Thurston Wheelis in A Tuna Christmas, and Travis Lindsey of Greenbrier takes on the role of Arles Struvie.
Mike King, who is now the manager of the Conway Dinner Theater, directs this show, just as he did the previous one.
“Greater Tuna was such a hit last year,” King said. “We wanted to present the sequel this holiday season.
“We’ve already had people asking about tickets. We hope this will be a big hit as well.”
King, who moved to Conway from central Illinois, said he accepted the job of theater manager in early summer. After directing Greater Tuna in December 2014, he appeared in The Odd Couple in March and directed Little Shop of Horrors in July.
“Our season has been going well,” he said. “We had big crowds for Steel Magnolias (in September) and Little Shop of Horrors. We’re looking, and hoping, for big crowds for this one, too.”
King said some of the characters in A Tuna Christmas are returning, but some are new.
“Some were talked about last year and never seen, while others just appear here and are just as crazy as everybody else,” he said.
“There were some dark moments in last year’s show, but this production is much lighter,” King said. “There are a couple of characters that are really odd — one, you only see his head, and another, you only see his girlfriend’s hair.”
King said this show “spends more time with the characters rather than just the announcers,” who, last year, narrated the story.
“There is narration, but this time, you really get to learn about the characters,” King said.
Following his appearance in last year’s presentation of Greater Tuna, Meehan appeared as Felix in The Odd Couple. He also played a police officer in the theater’s 2014 production of Arsenic and Old Lace.
Meehan said one of his favorite characters in the upcoming show is Pearl, who is described as “aunt to Bertha” and “a former riveter in Houston during World War II.”
“Pearl raises chickens,” he said in a Southern drawl. “She raises them for the eggs.
“Last year, she was killing dogs. This year, she’s using a slingshot with marbles to get rid of the blue jays.”
Meehan moved to Conway several years ago from Florida. He was introduced to the Conway Dinner Theater by his mother, the late Barbara Sanders, who worked with the Conway Dinner Theater and the Conway Women’s Chorus.
Most recently, Lindsey appeared in the Conway Dinner Theater’s production of The Odd Couple; he played Vinnie, a poker-playing buddy. Lindsey also appeared as Teddy Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace.
Lindsey said one of his favorite roles in this show is Stanley, who is Charlene’s twin brother. They are the children of Bertha.
“He killed the judge in Greater Tuna,” Lindsey said. “He’s a thug. There are really only two people he cares about, and Pearl is one of them.”
Lindsey is a home-schooled high school graduate and attends the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton. He said he hopes to become an actor.
Keith Jones of Conway is the technical director of A Tuna Christmas, and Tammy Coyle, also of Conway, is the assistant director and costumer.
As usual, patrons will have the choice of taking in dinner and a show, or just the show by itself.
Opening night on Dec. 10 will be a show-only production, as will the Dec. 18 performance; curtain time will be at 7 p.m.
Dinner and a show will be presented Dec. 11, 12 and 19, with dinner served at 6:15 p.m. followed by the show at 7.
The Dec. 20 matinee
performance will be a “sweet show,” with desserts being served at 2 p.m.
Tickets for dinner and the show are $27.50 for adults and $11 for children 10 and younger. Show-only tickets are $14.50 for adults and $5.50 for children. “Sweet” show tickets are $20 for adults and $8 for children.
The dinner menu includes chicken fajitas “loaded with flavor, not heat,” with hot sauce optional; Texas caviar, which is marinated corn-and-beans salsa; Texas salad, which is coleslaw with lime dressing; and Texas sheet cake, which is chocolate cake iced with chocolate icing while warm, which is described as “too rich not to be sinful.”
For more information or to purchase tickets to A Tuna Christmas, call (501) 339-7401, email faulknerarts@yahoo.com, or visit www.faulkneracademyofarts.org.
The Conway Dinner Theater is part of the Faulkner Academy of Arts, 2201 Washington Ave. in Conway. Enter the theater from the Hutto Street side of the building. Joan Hanna is director of the Faulkner Academy of Arts, which also sponsors the Conway Women’s Chorus.