Farmington Players Present Red White & Tuna 2/11-3/5

The Farmington Players will present the third installment of the Tuna series, Red, White and Tuna, on the Barn stage from February 11 through March 5. Written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, the uproarious comedy features two men playing twenty different parts-both male and female-and focuses on the people of the third smallest city in Texas as they assemble for their high school reunion and Independence Day festivities.

The cast includes Frank Markus of Royal Oak and Michael Schacherbauer of Plymouth-both veterans at playing the various denizens of Tuna. Margaret Gilkes of Farmington Hills returns to direct her third Tuna, a production sponsored by Tarnow Doors of Farmington Hills.

"I'm excited to finally have the opportunity to direct this show," says Gilkes. "We contacted the licensing agency, the authors, everyone we could think of-for years-because we wanted to get this show onto the Barn stage. Not only because it's a challenging show for a director but also for the two actors with so many lines, accents, costumes and situations to deal with."

The Tuna series debuted in Austin, Texas, in 1981 with Greater Tuna and was followed by A Tuna Christmas and Red, White and Tuna. The plays are at once an affectionate comment on small-town, Southern life and attitudes and a withering satire of them. Themes of religious intolerance, racism, homophobia and generAl Small-mindedness are deftly skewered by the play's engaging script and its funny characters.

"You'd think that a lot of the themes presented in Red, White and Tuna would be dated by now-that we would have moved past them-but just turn on the TV and you'll see that's not the case," says Jason Wilhoite, president of The Farmington Players and the show's producer. "By using humor and satire, Red, White and Tuna confronts these issues and encourages the audience to think-and laugh-about them."

Tickets are on sale now and selling fast.

Tickets are available at both www.farmingtonplayers.org and the box office at (248) 553-2955.

Adults: $15
Senior discount: $2 off ONLY on Senior Sunday February 13
Students: $2 off any performance
Thrifty Thursday: $2 off of the March 3 performance
Group Discounts: $2 off any show with a group of ten or more people.
Opening Night "Aftershow Afterglow"

Following the February 11 performance, patrons are invited to a "wedding reception" for Arles and Bertha-two of Tuna's more sympathetic characters-as we celebrate their nuptials. Wedding cake and a punch bowl will be provided.

Show dates:

Friday, February 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 12 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday matinee, February 13 at 2:00 p.m. (Senior Sunday)
Friday, February 18 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday matinee, February 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Friday, February 25 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday matinee, February 27 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m. (Thrifty Thursday)
Friday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 5 at 8:00 p.m.

Cast:

Frank Markus (Royal Oak) Plays: Amber Windchime, Arles Struvie, Didi Snavely, Petey Fisk, Momma Byrd, Charlene Bumiller, Stanley Bumiller, Vera Carp, Helen Bedd, Garland Poteet
Michael Schacherbauer (Plymouth) Plays: Star Birdfeather, Thurston Wheelis, Elmer Watkins, Bertha Bumiller, Joe Bob Lipsey, Pearl Burras, R. R. Snavely, Inita Goodwin, Leonard Childers, Reverend Sturgis Spikes

Production staff:

Margaret Gilkes (Farmington Hills): Director
Erik Carlson (Southfield): Assistant Director
Jason Wilhoite (Commerce Township): Producer

About The Farmington Players:

You can find The Farmington Players at farmingtonplayers.org and also on Facebook. The Barn began as an off-shoot of the American Association of University Women. Their first production, The Torchbearers, was performed at a local church. After performing in various city and educational locations, The Farmington Players moved into an old dairy barn located on the site of their present facility on West Twelve Mile Road.

Initially, productions were staged downstairs on a dirt floor. Over the years, improvements to the original Barn transformed it into a more finished space, with the theater itself eventually moving upstairs into a traditional and finished setting.

Since 1953, The Farmington Players have staged more than 180 different musicals, dramas, mysteries and comedies, all as a community theater with 100% volunteer membership.

People from Farmington, Farmington Hills and beyond have come to recognize the group as a true community resource. Since the completion of its state-of-the-art facility in 2003, The Farmington Players Barn Theater has expanded its mission, serving as the site for city-sponsored events such as youth theater camps in the summer, concerts with groups as varied as Blackthorn and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and as a meeting place for various groups.

The Farmington Players have been saving money over the years to enhance the onstage experience at The Barn. In November, 2009 they installed a new rigging system in the vast fly space. Show Directors are thrilled to finally have the ability to fly in flats and use drops to set scenes in a matter of seconds.

The Farmington Players Barn is located at 32332 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills on the north side of Twelve Mile Road, halfway between Orchard Lake Rd. and Farmington Rd.

 

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