THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180391
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
TYPE: Theater review
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The district attorney and the disc jockey are ``fishing'' for laughs in ``Greater Tuna,'' a not-on-any-map town in Texas filled with characters and caricatures.
The Encore Theatre is presenting this, its second production at the new Main Street Stage, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and on Oct. 27 and 28.
In ``Greater Tuna'' 22 characters are portrayed by two: Frank Parrish, district attorney of the 1st Judicial District and Tom Cherry, WCNC's morning deejay. Each plays 11 of the town's funny, fascinating folks.
Several months ago Parrish took an oath - ``I was going to take it easy for awhile.''
When the ``Greater Tuna'' script was put in front of him, however, he was a goner.
``I wouldn't have done anything else,'' Parrish said. ``Also, I enjoy doing comedy. My day job is grim, serious, sad.
``This is a release - it's relaxation.''
His idea of relaxation is playing 11 characters, memorizing an entire book, changing costumes at a breakneck pace, constant movement and breathless rehearsals.
Cherry, the deejay, said, ``This is the hardest, most challenging thing I've ever done.
``It's been two years since I've tackled a role, and this is large.
``I'm gettin' a little older,'' he said, his voice cracking. ``This play - so many lines, so many characters. I'm onstage all the time.
``When I'm not, I'm running around and changing, getting ready to dash back onstage.''
The playbook suggests that if all that is too much, the producer could consider getting other actors to handle some of the parts.
That would take the kick out of the production.
Besides, stage vets Parrish and Cherry are having breathless fun splitting their personalities.
The action centers around - love these call letters - radio station OKKK, the Texas town's gossipy 275-watter.
It is a setting familiar to Cherry, who portrays male and female characters between the ages of 40 and 80; Parrish portrays both genders starting at age 12.
``The show's a hoot,'' Parrish said.
``There are abrupt shifts in voice, appearance, behavior, clothes. I enjoy all the characters, but it is physically challenging.''
It is also a challenge for director, Harriet Smith, a former grade school teacher, who enjoys the opportunity to work with grown-ups.
``The play is a true satire of small town life,'' she said, ``where your business is everybody's business.''
With 22 fun characters to choose from, the audience should find several with whom they can identify.
Considering the ``Greater Tuna'' cast of wacky characters, that might be a little Halloween-frightening. by CNB