Flat Rock Playhouse presents A TUNA CHRISTMAS!

It might be May, but Flat Rock Playhouse says it's time to pull out the tinsel, hang the mistletoe, and head South for the holidays! The second of the extremely popular "Greater Tuna" series, a collection of comedic plays set in the fictional town of Tuna (the 3rd smallest town in Texas), A Tuna Christmas will return to The Playhouse Main Stage starring the hilarious Scott Treadway and his (or her) equally hilarious counterpart, Preston Dyar. Though seemingly a two-man show, there will be no lack of characters as these two gentlemen, who have separately been a part of several productions of the Tuna Series, will introduce audiences to over twenty of the town's most colorful characters together for the very FIRST time. A Tuna Christmas will run on the Main Stage in the Village of Flat Rock from May 19th through June 3rd.

For those who are not familiar with the series, director Paige Posey gives a quick synopsis of town's characters and the various holiday antics they are up to in Tuna, Texas circa 1990-something. "Due to an unpaid power bill, Dixie DeBerry is threatening to shut off the lights on the Tuna Little Theatre's production of, A Christmas Carol, which means Stanley Bumiller won't finish his community service. The Christmas "Phantom" is on the prowl upending the annual holiday yard display contest, which Vera Carp intends to win (for the fifteenth year in a row). And, housewife Bertha Bumiller is struggling to have a happy Christmas, despite her three 'problem' children, a pregnant cat in her kitchen pantry and her unfaithful husband, Hank, who is off on another bender."

Though the characters will certainly be entertaining enough on their own, there is also something to say for the technical feat that is central to the show's success and also incredibly entertaining to watch. Posey notes, "In literally seconds these versatile actors transform from male to female, child to adult, and from waitress to housewife to radio station personalities. Ashli Arnold's expert costume design and assistance will prove imperative to Treadway & Dyar's storytelling as the actors must seamlessly transform from one character to the next and basically right in front of the audience eyes. Fat padding, bean bag bras, wig, facial hair all come and go like tourist on a team-line. Often the actors are layered with costumes 3-characters deep."

Though a curious time for this holiday focused comedy, Senior Director of Marketing & Development, Dane Whitlock explains the decision to strike the harp and join the chorus a few months early."People ask me all the time - why A Tuna Christmas now? We wanted to present something from the hilarious Tuna trilogy during the height of the season so that we could capture as many folks as possible." Whitlock continues, "And to be honest, this is the funniest one of all. We presented a scene from this play with Preston and Scott during our annual fundraiser Dark Night Revue last year and people were howling! We knew then and there that we simply had to do it."

The scenic design for A Tuna Christmas is by Chris Mueller with previously mentioned Ashli Arnold providing the costumes. CJ Barnwell will design the lights, sound design by Kurt Conway. Catori Swann will serve as Stage Manager with Amelia Driscoll as Assistant Stage Manager.

With the combination of Christmas, Tuna, Treadway, Dyar and a little Playhouse magic, this upcoming play is bound to be dangerously funny to the point of causing bellyache inducing laughter. Get ready to pull out the tacky Christmas sweaters and join in the fun as Flat Rock Playhouse and their favorite funny men present A Tuna Christmas.

A Tuna Christmas will run from May 19th through July 3rd at the Flat Rock Playhouse Main Stage in the Village of Flat Rock. Matinee and evening performances Wednesday through Sunday. Performance dates and show times vary per week; patrons are encouraged to visit the Flat Rock Playhouse website for more information. Tickets are available for ­$15 - $50 and can be purchased by calling The Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-737-8008 or online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org. Flat Rock Playhouse is located at 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC 28731.

The Executive Producers of A Tuna Christmas are John Cox & Peter Parry. Flat Rock Playhouse 2017 Sponsors include: Mainstage Series Sponsor, Henderson County Tourism Development Authority; Opening Night Sponsor, BMW of Asheville; Playhouse Downtown Sponsor, Rug & Home.

Flat Rock Playhouse's The Music of Johnny Cash & Roy Orbison currently playing at The Playhouse Downtown through May 14th (Thursday at 7:30PM, Friday & Saturday at 8:00PM, and Saturday & Sunday at 2:00PM).

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds "locals" and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did The Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse's dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, family focused programming that provides immersive, hands-on theatrical experiences for children in kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

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