For one night only, the Starkville Community Theatre stage will host a performance of its competition-bound one-act version of "Greater Tuna", onstage at the Playhouse at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 11.
Tickets for the show are availble here online or over the phone at 662.323.6855.
In a condensed version of May 2023's production with the same cast and most of the same crew, middle-of-nowhere Texas comes to wacky, darkly comic life in "Greater Tuna", written by Jaston Williams, Ed Howard, and Joe Sears. This broad, side-splitting play takes satirical aim at the off-kilter inhabitants (men, women, children, and animals) of rural Tuna, Texas – pointedly the state's third-smallest town – all played by two actors (Sean Dyess and Paul Ruff) who change characters, voices, and costumes at breakneck speed. "Greater Tuna" is directed by Thomas La Foe, with assistance from Sara Wade. Additional crew members for the traveling show include Chris Harper, Jessica Jolly, and Cindy Ruff.
Before the show hits the road to compete in the Community Theatre division of the Mississippi Theatre Association festival in Gulfport, "Greater Tuna" will perform a public show in Starkville, onstage at the Playhouse. In addition to the hour-long show, audience members can watch as the set is built out and then taken down, immediately prior to and immediately following the performance. Per the rules of the festival, traveling shows must be able to place all set items and props inside a 10-foot-by-10-foot "box" and be able to fully erect and strike their sets in 10 minutes on either side of a maximum one-hour performance.
All funds raised through ticketing help offset the costs of registration, travel, hotel rooms, and production. Our theatre took home Best Production wins most recently in 2017 (won regionals and advanced to nationals), 2018 (advanced to and won regionals), 2020 (advanced to regionals), and 2022 (won regionals and advanced to nationals).
This performance is not included as part of any SCT season ticket, and admission is $15 (or $10 for students and active military).
The physical box office will be open Friday, January 5 and Monday, January 8 through Thursday, January 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take any seating requests by phone or in person, until available seating is sold out. The office will also, daily, return any voicemails left at other times. For any remaining last-minute seats, the office will open on show night at 6 p.m..
“Greater Tuna” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com. This production is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
