REVIEW 'Greater Tuna' satisfies appetite for sheer hysteria

Ed Smith and Michael Morley show their versatility.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- There are probably only a few plays written that send the audience into fits of laughter without the players having to say or do anything onstage. "Greater Tuna" is one of them, and it is now playing at The Oakland Center, directed by Paul Kimpel and Joanne Carney Smith.
The play pokes fun at Southern conservative attitudes, and takes place in Tuna, the fictitious third smallest town in Texas.
All the characters are played by two actors, Ed Smith and Michael Morley, and these well-seasoned pros had the audience in the palm of their hand. Their appearance was funny enough, but when they opened their mouths, laughter turned to hysteria as they deliciously portrayed this town full of overly stereotyped country hicks. They became the Tuna men, women and children who interact with imaginary props, including lots and lots of dogs.
A typical day
The play takes place as one typical day in this small town, beginning with the morning broadcast on Radio OKKK. We get to peek into one household, the Bumillers', as mother Bertha (Morley) prepares breakfast for her deranged children, all played by Smith.
First comes little Jody, all smiles and dimples, who innocently attracts packs of dogs that follow him wherever he goes.
Stanley is a slob with an irritating twitch who just got out of reform school, and complains that his fat sister, Charlene, is trying to squeeze into his jeans. Charlene is depressed, because for the seventh year in a row, she did not make the cheerleading team. Now, Smith is a fairly large man, but dressed in a brown and white cheerleading outfit with white boots, he becomes an almost formidable presence onstage.
Petey Fisk, of the local Humane Society, also played by Smith, makes frequent appearances throughout the performance, appealing for kindness toward ducks, fish and a noisy dog named Yippie.
But this morning, Bertha is visited by a reporter doing a story on the "Smut Snatchers," whose goal is to remove books of questionable value from the shelves, including "Roots," because it gives only one point of view. They are also removing certain words from the dictionary, such as ball, knocker and nuts. Some of Bertha's qualifications to head this subcommittee include being a member of the group to serve shut-ins, called "Tuna Helpers," and being the only high C soprano in the church choir.
Morley is hilarious as Bertha, but he has the audience in stitches as Aunt Pearl, the wobbly-legged old lady who walks with a cane and poisons stray dogs with strychnine.
He also plays the Rev. Spikes, whose eulogy for the deceased judge was probably the longest string of clich & eacute;s ever heard.
Changing character
Along with the hysterical costumes, created by Kadey Kimpel, these guys were able to change character in a split second. This would not have happened without the backstage dressers, who, judging by the speed of the exits and entrances, must have undressed and re-clothed these guys as they were on the run. They are: Mary Ellen Cleary, Ken Griggs, Anita Lin, Tom O'Donnell and Gary Russo. Hats off (and on) to these people!
This is probably one of the most utterly ridiculous plays you will ever see, but it is well worth the price of a ticket, even just to see these clowns play dress-up. But you better hurry and make your reservations, because some of the performances are already sold out.
It continues Fridays and Saturdays only, through Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. Call (330) 746-0404.