Actors reunite 35 years later to present 'Tuna' sequel

MONROE — Thirty-five years ago, Monroe actors Brian Burchette-Ross and David P. Wahr were cast in the two-man comedy “Greater Tuna.”

Monroe Community Players staged “Greater Tuna” as a dinner theater in 1989 at Monroe's former Holiday Inn.

This weekend, the men will reunite in the "Tuna" sequel “Red, White and Tuna.” It will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Players' studio theater at the Mall of Monroe , 2121 N. Monroe St. Tickets are $15 each and are available at monroecommunityplayers.org .

“Players has not done this particular show before. However, with this production, we have now done every show in the series: ‘Greater Tuna’ in 1989 and 2014; ‘A Tuna Christmas’ in 1999; ‘Red, White and Tuna’ this year; and ‘Tuna Does Vegas’ in 2020,” Wahr said.

Director Ron Roberts said attendees don’t need to be familiar with the other shows.

“The script does a good job of filling in the gaps, so that the audience understands what has gone on before,” Roberts said.

“Red, White and Tuna” is a look into the lives of the residents of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas. Burchette-Ross and Wahr will each represent 10 characters and their various trials and tribulations as they prepare for the annual Fourth of July high school reunion.

The show has many quick costume changes.

“The quick changes and the costumes are really another character in the show,” Roberts said. “Our costumer, Val Jonas, has really outdone herself in making and gathering everything to dress two actors in more than 20 costume changes. You usually only have this many changes in a major musical, not in a comedy.”

Four dressers will work backstage to help with the changes. They are Jeff Finley, Burchette-Ross, Kathleen McBee and Jared Mercieca.

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The actors are excited to work together again.

“It’s great to be teamed up with Dave again,” Burchette-Ross said. “I think that we really work well together.”

“Brian and I have worked together on other shows as well, like ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,’ and we just ‘click,’” Wahr said. “It’s like we’ve been working straight through this past 35 years and no time has passed getting to do this show with him.”

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com .

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Actors reunite 35 years later to present 'Tuna' sequel