Footlight to serve up 'Tuna'

Perhaps you have never heard of Tuna, Texas. That may be because it is a fictional small town that serves as the setting of a comedic trilogy invented in the early '80s by talented New York writers and actors Joe Sears, Jaston Williams and Ed Howard.

The Footlight Players has the theatrical solution for those who want to start off the holiday season with a satiric comedy that gently makes fun of small-town life by using a healthy dose of hilarity mingled with a smidgen of underlying melancholy.

"A Tuna Christmas," opening this week, stars two male actors, Dean Infinger and Robin Burke, who perform a total of 20 roles featuring eccentric characters of both genders and a variety of ages.

The second creation in the Tuna trilogy, the play opened off-Broadway in 1989. It had been preceded by "Greater Tuna," produced by South Carolina's own native son, the late Carl Allison. Allison shepherded the show, starring Sears and Williams, to a successful run off-Broadway and brought "Greater Tuna" here as part of Piccolo Spoleto Festival. The last, and least performed, of the trilogy is a slightly political "Red, White and Tuna."

"A Tuna Christmas" takes place 24 frenetic hours before Christmas as Tuna residents attempt to cope with seasonal traumas.

First, there is the disaster-prone local theater production of "A Christmas Carol." And then there is the all-important front-yard decorating contest that is sabotaged by a mysterious "Christmas Phantom."

Directing the lighthearted family evening will be Mary Cimino, with technical direction by Richard Heffner and costumes designed by Julie Ziff.

Performances of "A Tuna Christmas" are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, continuing Dec. 6-8 and 13-15 and at 3 p.m. Dec. 2 and 16 at the Footlight Players Theater, 20 Queen St. Tickets are $25 for general admission; $22 for senior citizens and $15 for students with ID. To reserve tickets, call 722-4487 or go online at www.footlightplayers.net. Students also may purchase tickets for $10 at the box office an hour before curtain time.

CSO Gospel Choir

Also ringing in the season will be the eighth annual Gospel Christmas Concert performed by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir with guest soloist Jennifer Bynum, who was seen in the award-winning 2005 film "Hustle and Flow," starring Terrence Howard. Also returning as soloist will be Kenneth D. Alston, who performed with the choir last year.

The Gospel Choir is directed by Glenn R. Nixon, choral director for Woodland High School and Harleyville-Ridgeville Elementary School in Dorchester County.

Guest conductor for the Christmas program will be Vincent L. Danner, associate conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Memphis Youth Symphony in Tennessee.

The 80-voice choir will perform down-home traditional gospel arrangements, including "Changed Ma' Name" and Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child," along with Christmas standards such as "O Holy Night" and "Let There Be Peace on Earth," accompanied by the CSO.

The performance is at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Gaillard Auditorium. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased by visiting the Gaillard box office, calling Ticketmaster at 554-6060 or online at www.charlestonsymphony.com.

Puppet theater

"Wayang Modern: An Evening of Modern Shadow Puppet Theatre" will be performed Saturday at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston.

The evening is part of the Halsey's third annual "Paper Moon," celebrating the only purely contemporary art institution in the state, and is an opportunity for visual arts enthusiasts to become members of the Halsey.

"The evening is an opportunity for current Halsey members and potential members," says Mark Sloan, Halsey director. "All guests who are not current members will be encouraged to join."

Membership starts at $30 and includes a monthly newsletter, invitations to all exhibits and lectures, several members-only events and a discount with a local frame shop.

The evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. with a Firefly vodka bar, live music and hors d'oeuvres by Granville's Catering.

The puppet show with Charleston shadow puppeteer Geoffrey Cormier and musical accompaniment by New Music Collective will feature three puppet theatrical works at 9 p.m. at the nearby Recital Hall. The show is free for Halsey members and $10 for nonmembers. At the end of the performance, Cormier will invite guests to join him on stage for a demonstration of his technique using puppets crafted from sweetgrass.

Call 953-5680 or visit www.halsey.cofc.edu. Regular Halsey Institute hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the School of the Arts, 54 St. Philip St.

Artist Guild sale

The Charleston Artist Guild's "C-Note Sale" will display for sale original works by exhibiting members of the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery. The sale will include miniature paintings suitable to be hung on a Christmas tree.

A tree-trimming reception will be held 5-8 p.m. Friday at 6 North Atlantic Wharf.

Reach Dottie Ashley at 937-5704 or dashley@postandcourier.com.