VGT presents ‘A Tuna Christmas’

Published 8:34 pm Friday, December 2, 2016

: A TUNA CHRISTMAS: Noah Hemby, dressed as Bertha Bumiller, and Jacob Lloyd, as Vera Carp, rehearse a scene in the show Tuna Christmas at Parkside Playhouse on Thursday.

It is that time of year again when the locals in Tuna, Texas, gear up for their annual Christmas Yard Display Contest. Vera Carp has walked away with the prize for the past 14 years, and beginning Dec. 8 locals will get to find out if the town snob wins again during the Vicksburg Theatre Guild’s production of “A Tuna Christmas.”

“This is a sequel to ‘Greater Tuna,’ director Elizabeth Cowan said, and the majority of the play focuses on the yard competition with a variety of subplots throughout.

And like “Greater Tuna,” which was performed in April at the VTG, “A Tuna Christmas” will also have two actors taking on the role of all the characters in the play.

The two actors who were in the spring show had so much fun playing all 20 characters in that show, VTG president Paul Ballard said, they decided they wanted to try to do it again.

Unfortunately, after the show was added to the VTG’s schedule, both men were unable to commit to the show, so Jacob Lloyd and Noah Hemby will take on the 22 character parts.

“It’s been great working with both guys,” Cowan said, adding that Lloyd, who is a regular performer at the VTG, is also a student at the University of Southern Mississippi studying theater.

“Hemby is new, but he is doing a great job,” Cowan said.

The director is also doing a great job, Ballard said.

Cowan is a high school student and is working under the tutelage of Ballard.

“I don’t recall anyone this young doing a regular play,” Ballard said, “but Elizabeth is a very mature individual and has performed in a number of shows and has also held other roles during productions.”

“I have enjoyed directing the play. It has been a little stressful, but my actors take direction well, and the people backstage have been easy to work with,” Cowan said.

“A Tuna Christmas” is a comedic play and takes on the satirical mores of small-town Southern life and attitudes.

Shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and run through Dec. 10. A matinée performance is also scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Dec. 11.

All shows will be held at the Parkside Playhouse Theatre, 101 Iowa Ave.

“A Tuna Christmas,” is not a main stage production and will be offered as a fundraiser for the VTG.

Proceeds will go toward repaving the parking lot of the theater, Cowan said.

Tickets are $15, $10 for ages 65 and older and $8 for ages 12 and younger.

For more information, call 601-636-0471 or visit vicksburgtheatreguild.com/.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

More by Terri Cowart