Each holiday season there’s a handful of theatrical offerings from classics like A Christmas Carol to more modern fare such as Elf. Nestled hilariously somewhere in the middle of these wide-ranging shows is A Tuna Christmas, the brainchild of Joe Sears and Jaston Williams. With only two actors playing every character in the fictitious town of Tuna, Texas, A Tuna Christmas is truly a knee-slappin’, belly-laughin’ good time that will warm your spirits quicker than a shot of brandy in eggnog. Playhouse 615 (located at 11920 Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet, TN) will be presenting their production of the holiday favorite beginning this weekend as the show opens Friday, December 1 and runs through Sunday, December 17. Directed by Memory Strong-Smith, with set design by Eric Crawford, Matthew N. Smith and Daniel Vincent star as the citizens of Tuna, Texas as they ready for the holiday season.
Earlier this week as the director, set designer and two-man cast prepared for the show’s opening, I had a chance to pose a few questions to each of them for the latest installment of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20Q. As I have done the last few years, you’ll notice the questions, like everything else around us this time of year, have a decidedly holiday theme.
RAPID FIRE 20Q WITH CAST & CREW OF PLAYHOUSE 615’s A TUNA CHRISTMAS
RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH A TUNA CHRISTMAS DIRECTOR, MEMORY STRONG-SMITH
JHPENTERTAINMENT: What has been the most rewarding aspect of directing Playhouse 615’s holiday offering, A Tune Christmas?
MEMORY STRONG-SMITH: Seeing the whole project cone together. This show has lived in my head for about a year, and it’s really lovely to see everything- lights, costumes, set, characters, trees, and sound come to insane life. It took a village to get us to this point and I am so grateful to Matt and Daniel, Eric who designed and almost singlehandedly built the set, our dresser and ASM Tony Barrow for keeping the chaos as contained as possible back stage, and Nikki Nelson-Hicks who took ownership of running the lights and sound like she was born to it. It’s a LOT and I’m so grateful to each of them for partnering with me on this journey.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Are you more likely to return a gift or regift it?
MEMORY STRONG-SMITH: Depends on the gift. If it’s something I think someone else could use or want, I’ll pass it along.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Snowball fight or building a snowman?
MEMORY STRONG SMITH: Snowman.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Die Hard or Love Actually?
MEMORY STRONG-SMITH: Oh man! I love them both!! Die Hard, tho edges out Love Actually, but a nose hair!
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Favorite Christmas memory?
MEMORY STRONG-SMITH: There are many, but I have to say the last Christmas I got to spend with my mom before she died. We put on Mariah’s 1st Christmas album (this was 1995), drank adult beverages, got a bit tipsy, and decorated the tree. It was just a lovely time spent together and I so cherish that memory.
RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH A TUNA CHRISTMAS STAGE MANAGER/SET DESIGNER/GRUMPY ELF, ERIC CRAWFORD
JHPENTERTAINMENT: As Stage Manager/Set Designer/Grumpy Elf for Playhouse 615’s A Tuna Christmas, is there a detail in the set that you’re most proud of?
ERIC CRAWFORD: The Christmas trees. This show features 7 Christmas trees which determine the setting for each scene. I put a lot of thought into capturing Matt and Daniel’s interpretations of the characters and what each character’s Christmas tree would look like.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Christmas Breakfast, Christmas Lunch or Christmas Dinner?
ERIC CRAWFORD: Dinner
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Sleep late or up early for presents?
Sleep late is always the appropriate answer.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Gift Bag or meticulously wrapped presents?
I tend to be involved with holiday productions, so I usually wind up paying my son, Ace, to wrap for me.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Favorite Christmas memory?
How about one theme? Family. So many memories of my relatives revolve around Christmas, especially those who have passed.
RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH A TUNA CHRISTMAS STAR, MATTHEW N. SMITH
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Of the myriad of characters you play in A Tuna Christmas, do you have a favorite?
MATTHEW N. SMITH: Every character is special to me for one reason or another and I can’t say I have a favorite but I’m going to go with Arles Struvie because he has a really touching relationship that develops through the show (leaving out details to avoid giving away the plot).
JHPENTERTAINMENT: A walk in the wintery woods or a stroll through a decorated neighborhood?
MATTHEW N. SMITH: I’m going to go with the decorated neighborhood. It sounds slightly less freezing.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Who was the better Scrooge…Bill Murray in Scrooged, Jim Carrey in 2009’s A Christmas Carol or Uncle Eider as Scrooge McDuck?
MATTHEW N. SMITH: The answer will never not be Bill Murray.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Would you prefer a ride on the Polar Express or a Horse-drawn Sleigh?
MATTHEW N. SMITH: Since I have an affinity for the traditional and picturesque, I’ll take the sleigh. Under a warm blanket with a hot toddy and my Mine.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Favorite Christmas memory?
MATTHEW N. SMITH: When I was 17, my mother gave me a Fender acoustic guitar. It’s been through everything with me ever since and though we’re both a little the worse for wear, we can still strum a pretty nice tune.
RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH A TUNA CHRISTMAS STAR, DANIEL VINCENT
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Like your costar, you also play a ton of characters in A Tuna Christmas. Who’s your favorite?
DANIEL VINCENT: Though Inita Goodwin, the sassy waitress, is a lot of fun, I’d have to say that Bertha Bumiller is my favorite. She’s the heart of the show and delivers some of the most country and hilarious one-liners.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas or John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together?
DANIEL VINCENT: Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is a classic, but I’m going to pretty much always go with The Muppets any time there is a choice.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Handcrafted presents or store-bought with thought?
DANIEL VINCENT: I don’t really have a preference here as long as it’s something practical or that I can enjoy throughout the year. I’m not a fan of tchotchkes.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Ice Skating or Caroling?
DANIEL VINCENT: I’ve only tried ice skating once and it was a tremendous and painful failure. I’m a singer, so I’m going with caroling. Fewer bruises and broken bones.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Favorite Christmas memory?
DANIEL VINCENT: We didn’t have money growing up, so my mother made sure Christmas was more about service to others than getting things on your wish list. My favorite Christmas memory is probably the first time I volunteered with my rugby team to deliver meals on Christmas Day with Nashville Cares. It was humbling as well as heart-warming and brought home what the season is really about. I’ve done it every year since. It’s become a part of my holiday traditions.
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With that my conversations with the cast of Playhouse 615’s A Tuna Christmas came to a close, but it’s just the beginning of the riotous laughter they’ll be providing during the holiday season as the show opens Friday, December 1 and continues weekend through Sunday, December 17. CLICK HERE for tickets or call the box-office at 615.319.7031. When available, tickets can also be purchsed at the door an hour before each performance.
Following a brief holiday break, up next at Playhouse 615 is The 39 Steps., directed by Diane Bearden-Enright, onstage February 16- March 3. For more on these shows and to keep up with Playhouse 615, check out their website or find them on Facebook.
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