- Andrew Moore
It’s no secret that I don’t enjoy the cycle of two-person plays inspired by the hit show Greater Tuna. I dread these plays like the flu but I also recognize that I’m in the minority. So instead of ranting about rotten bait I’m going to give Red, White and Tuna , which opens this weekend at Circuit Playhouse, the benefit of the doubt. And I’m going to ask Andrew Moore three questions.
Intermission Impossible: You and Michael Gravois play every resident in Texas third smallest town. Do you have a favorite?
Andrew Moore: I play 9 different characters in the show, 4 women and 5 men, though I spend far more time as a woman in the show than I do as a man. I think that my favorite character is Bertha. I think everyone can relate to her. All she wants is for things to go well for the Fourth of July Reunion and her wedding to Arles the next day, but nothing seems to work out right. Everyone around her keeps causing problems. But she tries to smile through it all. A close second would be Aunt Pearl. Who doesn’t love a little old lady who smiles while describing her sex life or telling you she’s going to kick your butt?
How does this piece of Tuna stack up against other plays in the Tuna cycle?
Red, White & Tuna follows a very similar storytelling format as the other Tuna shows. We’re introduced to the characters and what is going on in the town by Arles & Thurston on Radio OKKK at the top of the show. Everyone in Tuna is gearing up for the Tuna High School Reunion on the Fourth of July. Vera Carp, Aunt Pearl and Didi Snavely are running for Reunion Queen. Bertha and Arles are preparing to get married the next day. Helen and Inita are still on the lookout for cowboys while launching their own catering business at the Reunion. I think people will really enjoy the show because they get to see all their favorite characters from Greater Tuna and A Tuna Christmas in new situations, dealing with new challenges.
You’d think there wouldn’t be much to see in Texas third largest town but people keep coming back for more. What’s the draw?
People love Tuna because it’s just silly. It doesn’t claim to be anything other than what it is, two men running around in a bunch of crazy costumes and wigs.
