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  • 1.  The TUNA plays

    Posted 07-20-2016 12:27
    Hello fellow theatre teachers. This is my first time emailing but I have been reading the posts and enjoying the discussions very much. I have a question for anyone out there who has read or considered doing any of the Greater Tuna play series by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard. I have read Greater Tuna and A Christmas Tuna and love that the casting is flexible and the sets are simple. I am concerned that the material might be too irreverent for high school communities. I read the first of the plays with my students and they thought it was really funny, but there are some elements that might offend a high a highly conservative parent. Has anyone done any of the TUNA plays successfully?

    Pauline Maranian
    Estancia HS
    Costa Mesa, CA

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  • 2.  RE: The TUNA plays

    Posted 07-22-2016 11:50
    I did TUNA several years ago. I expanded the cast, and most of the actors played 2-3 roles. The only actors remaining constant were the two radio announcers. I got away with everything by gender bending the entire show. All the women played men and the men were women. It was a hoot and hugely successful. I even sort of bent the running crew.
    My town tends to lean on the conservative side, FYI.

    Sent from my iPhone


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  • 3.  RE: The TUNA plays

    Posted 07-23-2016 13:51

    We've done all but the newest one in the last 8 years at my school.  We are a fairly conservative suburb.  I try to be careful with my choices.  We;ve never had an ounce of trouble... right here in dublin city... it starts with a "D" and that sounds like t and thats trouble...

    we have the rights for the final one to be produced in the winter.  

    Have fun keeping the characters the given gender and let the actors who are the opposite gender have fun dressing up and playing the opposite (not THAT "play the opposite", the gender opposite...:)

    So fun!

    I would suggest having some cast discussion about the inappropriateness of most of the characters and use it as a teaching moment.   I also plan on watching some "Wht what you Do?" - [with John Quinones] with the cast, in order to help facilitate some discussion re: people around us and how they choose to treat others and when a person ought to step in and say or do something.   For me the people from Tuna are mean and nasty and last thing I wanna do is work on that everyday in rehearsal and have the kids NOT understand my stanchion the characters' behavior.  

    Honestly, though some people don't really like the pieces I have had a blast working on and presenting them.  

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    [Drama] [Dan] []
    [Drama Teacher/Director]
    [Dublin Coffman HS]
    [Dublin] [Ohio]

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