Political correctness takes a holiday in “A Tuna Christmas”, a comedy that is currently being performed by the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Loch Haven Park.

Opening in a radio station with the call letters OKKK, the small, Southern Baptist town of Tuna, Texas is full of quirky residents with little care for the outside world. The “Smut Snatchers”, a local group trying to clean up the Christmas Story, hold the belief that “censorship is as American as apple pie.” And there’s Elmer Watkins of Clan 429, whose radio ads invite locals to attend the “whitest” Christmas party in town. Just about every character has something to say that wouldn’t fly in the real world.

But the real story - and comedy - is found in the struggles of Tuna’s residents, all of which are coming to a head this holiday season. Bertha Burmiller is one such resident, with her cheating, never-present husband, a son that’s about to finish his probation and a daughter who’s infatuated - and possibly in love - with the town’s big-headed theatre director. Her dream of a normal, family Christmas is not only impossible, it’s something that even she knows wouldn’t make things right.

In addition to these personal stories, the holiday festivities in Tuna are under attack by a “Christmas Phantom.” Various forms of sabotage have been used to ruin or alter the events around town with the signature event, a lawn decorating contest, being the main target. One resident, Vera Carp, is especially worried that her run of 15 straight years as the contest’s winner is in jeopardy due to this unknown assailant.

In all, twenty two residents help tell the story of “A Tuna Christmas,” a whirlwind comedy that will have you laughing out loud and left in amazement of the two actors who make up the cast.

That’s right … two actors, playing eleven parts each, are all you’ll ever see on stage. Philip Nolen and Brad Deplanche seamlessly transition between characters, maintaining the integrity of a list of personalities that includes the entire Burmiller family, a used gun saleswoman, a bed-wetting police officer and so much more. Their performances are so good that in some scenes, you half-expect additional characters to make an appearance. This is especially true in the final scene depicting the radio station’s Christmas party.

As far as comedies go, this one is special because of its characters. While the story lines are very good (and funny), none of them are strong enough from start to finish to be the topic that people will first talk about when describing the show. Inevitably, the talk will start with the characters and the crazy personalities that the actors are able to portray. That’s probably what the writers intended, anyway.

“A Tuna Christmas” runs through December 23, with evening shows on Wednesday - Saturday and afternoon shows on Sunday. Ticket prices range from $20 to $37 with discounts available to seniors and students. For complete information, including the remaining schedule and directions to the theatre, visit the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre website.

Note: The photos in this article were taken by Tony Firriolo.

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