''Greater Tuna'' is the first in a series of four comedic plays (followed by '' A Tuna Christmas,'' ''

Red, White and Tuna ''Red, White and Tuna'' is the third in a series of comedic plays (preceded by ''Greater Tuna'' and ''A Tuna Christmas'' and followed by '' Tuna Does Vegas''), each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. ...

'', and '' Tuna Does Vegas''), each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. The series was written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. The plays are at once an affectionate comment on small-town, Southern life and attitudes but also a withering satire of same. Of the four plays, ''Greater Tuna'' is the darkest in tone, as it follows the news of the death (and possible murder) of Judge Buckner. The plays are notable in that two men play the entire cast of over twenty eccentric characters of both genders and various ages. ''Greater Tuna'' debuted in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, in the fall of 1981, and had its off-Broadway premiere in 1982. St. Vincent Summer Theatre produced the play in 2000, and No Name Players produced it in 2002. Charles H. Duggan produced national tours of "Greater Tuna", "A Tuna Christmas" and "Red, White & Tuna" for twenty-six years. Williams and Sears regularly tour the country to perform all four plays, with Howard directing. An HBO Special of ''Greater Tuna'', produced by Embassy Television and Norman Lear, was aired in 1984. However, due to copyright conflicts between Embassy Television and the original copyright claimants (Joe Sears, Jaston Williams & Ed Howard) the broadcast was limited to only 3 months in 1984. It has never been broadcast again. Rare VHS taped copies have been sold on eBay in excess of $100. Sears and Williams did command performances of both ''Greater Tuna'' and ''A Tuna Christmas'' at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

for President George H. W. Bush and

Barbara Bush Barbara Pierce Bush (June 8, 1925 – April 17, 2018) was First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, as the wife of President George H. W. Bush, and the founder of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. She previously w ...

. According to the play's official web site, by 1985, ''Greater Tuna'' was the most-produced play in the United States. A videotaped performance of ''Greater Tuna'' (but not the Lear HBO production) is available on VHS and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

Partial cast of characters

;Performed by Williams *Charlene Bumiller - Daughter of Hank and Bertha Bumiller, and sister to Stanley and Jody *Jody Bumiller - Youngest child of Bertha Bumiller, followed constantly by "eight to ten dogs" *Stanley Bumiller - fresh from

reform school A reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies reformatories commonly called reform schools were set up from 1854 onwards for youngsters who wer ...

; twin to Charlene *Vera Carp - Town snob and vice president of the Smut-Snatchers of the New Order *Petey Fisk - Employee of the Greater Tuna Humane Society *Didi Snavely - Owner of Didi's Used Weapons ("If we can't kill it, it's immortal") *Arles Struvie - A

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

at radio station OKKK *Chad Hartford- A reporter from Houston who comes to interview Bertha *Phinas Blye- A politician from Indiana who runs for City Council every election *Harold Dean Lattimer- OKKK's weatherman ;Performed by Sears *Bertha Bumiller - wife of Hank and mother to Jody, Stanley, and Charlene; member of the Smut Snatchers of the New Order *Hank Bumiller- Husband of Bertha *Pearl Burras - Aunt to Bertha, who is, as Petey Fisk claims, addicted to killing dogs (in the play, called ''canicidal thumbitus'') *Leonard Childers - Station Manager of OKKK for his talk show, "Leonard on the Line" *Sheriff Givens- Believes in old-fashioned jails *Elmer Watkins, head of the local chapter of the KKK, dedicated to making the town safe "for the right kind of people" *Yippy the dog- Pet of the month for five weeks in a row, yips a lot, and no one wants to adopt him *R.R. Snavely -

UFOlogist Ufology ( ) is the investigation of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) by people who believe that they may be of extraordinary origins (most frequently of extraterrestrial alien visitors). While there are instances of government, private, and ...

, town drunk, and husband to Didi *The Reverend Spikes, president of the Smut Snatchers of the New Order *Thurston Wheelis - A

at radio station OKKK

Honors for ''Greater Tuna''

;Joe Sears *Following a December 1994 run of ''A Tuna Christmas'' on Broadway, Joe Sears received a 1995 Tony Award nomination for best actor in a play. *Nominee, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Touring Production,

Helen Hayes Awards Non-Resident Acting These Helen Hayes Awards are given for outstanding acting in non-resident or touring productions that are staged in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Lead acting Outstanding Lead Actor in a Touring Production * 1985 Derek Jacobi - ''Cyrano d ...

, 1985, 1987 ;Jaston Williams *San Francisco Bay Area Critics Award *L.A. Dramalogue Award

References

External links

Official website
* {{IOBDB title
A Secret History of Tuna

Interview with Jaston Williams, June 18, 1995. University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures: Oral History Collection, UA 15.01, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
American plays 1981 plays Off-Broadway plays Plays set in Texas