The creators of the popular stage comedy “Greater Tuna” are bringing their performance of “Tuna Christmas” to Iowa for the first time this week. It’s a tale of a tiny, fictional Texas town called Tuna, and the 24 quirky people who live there. “Aunt Pearl” is one of them who dislikes the holiday season.It’s actually actor/comedian Joe Sears, who is joined by partner Jaston Williams, in playing all 24 characters in the play, often with split-second costume changes. Sears, speaking again as Aunt Pearl, says the townspeople are very involved with setting up elaborate Christmas yard displays. Aunt Pearl says another eye-grabbing attraction is a neighbor’s 40-foot tree, decorated with aluminum pie pans and illuminated by colored floodlights.Sears was nominated for a Tony Award in 1994. He and Williams have toured with their Tuna shows for 17 years, but never before in Iowa. The show opens tomorrow at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines and runs through Sunday.
