Here in Wisconsin, we can be forgiven for thinking of Greater Tuna as "Lake Wobegone" with a Texas twang. (As most local folks know, the weekly radio reports of life in fictional Lake Wobegon are relayed by Garrison Keillor, the Minneapolis-based author and star of "A Prairie Home Companion.)" Interestingly, Greater Tuna also prominently features a radio station. Two actors portray the DJs of the local station in Tuna, Texas. In fact, the two actors comprise the show's entire cast. When they aren't delivering the weekly news or hosting a call-in show, they switch costumes to portray nearly ever resident in Tuna, Texas. About 20 people live in Tuna, and the excellent acting throughout makes it difficult to pick favorite characters. They actors cover everyone in town -- men, women, children and even the animals.
Gerard Neugent will be remembered for his portrayal of the big-bottomed and big-haired Bertha Bumiller. She's a long-suffering wife and mother who tries to keep her children -- and their pack of eight dogs under control.
Then there's Bertha's nemeses, the soft-hearted, optimistic Petey Fisk (played by the other actor). Fisk is the local representative of the National Humane Society. Since he cannot bring himself to euthanize the stray animals, Fisk prefers to bring them home. But he is running out of room, he tells radio listeners during his brief on-air appearances. Bertha's youngest son is partial to Petey's dogs -- hence, Bertha's collection of eight (or maybe nine) canines.
The show's other actor, Lee Ernst, has some clever characters assigned to him as well. Among them is Didi, the whiskey-voiced owner of a used gun shop. During several appearances, Didi is seen wearing sunglasses and a sexy outfit. She waves a cigarette in the air for dramatic effect.
Second among the "favorites" is the aforementioned Petey Fisk, in addition to a less admirable character, Stanley Bumiller, Bertha's oldest son. The ne'er-do-well Stanley has returned from a year in reform school with murder on his mind. Ernst plays Stanley with a slacker's easy charm. His just-got-out-of-bed hairstyle and rumpled T-shirt complete the picture.
Although Greater Tuna and its two sequels have been in circulation for more than two decades, they still retain a fresh appeal. When performed by a pair of terrific actors, directed by the likes of J.R. Sulllivan, the show is an instant hit. The ramshackle, country-style set contributes greatly to the production's success, as does the invisible (but mission critical) work of the show's behind-the-scenes dressers.
