Fish-Slapped

 

CHAMELEONIC: ACTORS TAKE ‘RANGE' TO NEW LEVEL

Anybody who walked past the Theatre Alliance building on Northwest Boulevard on Friday night would have had no doubt that a comedy opened there that night. Belly laughs -- long, loud and frequent -- spilled out onto the street as an almost sell-out crowd accepted Director Jamie Lawson's invitation to "get rowdy" with the cast of Red, White and Tuna.

At first glance, the appeal is obvious.

"For some reason, people like to see men dressed up like women," Lawson said during an interview several weeks ago.

But Gray Smith and Tim Swift, starring in their third comedy in the Tuna series, proved once again that they're capable of doing much more than dressing up like women. From the first scene, in which they appear as the stuck-in-the-'60s flower children Amber Windchime (Smith) and Star Birdfeather (Swift), through their transformations into 18 other roles, these seasoned actors actually appear to change faces.

In a matter of minutes, they transform from laid-back, slack-jawed hippies to wide-eyed fast-talking OKKK radio announcers. And that takes more talent than the ability to change from birkenstocks to cowboy boots.

Make no mistake about it, this play is not for the slow-witted -- either on stage or in the audience. Anybody who's the least bit sluggish when they sit down will wake up quickly. The pace is fast and the lines are delivered with impeccable timing. You don't want to be nodding off when Stanley Bumiller (Smith), a juvenile delinquent turned successful artist, spits out the line, "Rich kids don't go to reform school. They go to Duke."

Pantomime has always been a successful comedic tool in skillful hands, and this play provides many opportunities for both actors to use it. As Didi Snavely, the gritty proprietor of the local gun shop, Smith jabs, stabs and puffs at a chain of imaginary cigarettes so effectively you can almost smell the smoke.

This review would be remiss if it didn't mention the set design by Daniel Alvarez. Even before the first line was spoken, the audience enjoyed a few chuckles at the weatherbeaten facades of Tuna, Texas, "population about the same: 745." And kudos to Jeffry Driver for one of the highlights of the evening -- RR's spaceship.

Theatre Alliance presents Red, White and Tuna at 2 p.m. today; 8 p.m. Wednesday -- Saturday, June 30-July 3, and Thursday -- Saturday, July 8-10; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 11. Tickets are $14, $12 for students and seniors. The theater is at 1047 W. Northwest Blvd. To purchase tickets, call 800-838-3006 or go to www.wstheatrealliance.org.