Gracing the stage of the Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep) is the amazing duo of Jonathan Beck-Reed and Donald Jordan. The two will perform together again this holiday season for “A Tuna Christmas,” bringing a taste of Tuna, TX to the stage. The show begins with a “preview” performance in the City Space Theatre at the Civic Center Music Hall Nov. 20th.
This uproarious tale of Christmas in small-town Texas, and the locals who live and work there is a yuletide treat. A Tuna Christmas is performed by two quick-changing, wacky comedians’ who play a host of characters. The actors have 24 costume changes during each show, play a cast of 23 characters, young, old, male and female -- and seem to do it with ease. “There are actually five parts in this play; just two on stage,” Jordan said in an interview with The City Sentinel, giving credit to the three dressers who work backstage with the on-stage characters. “The dressers ensemble is the theatre version of team work.”
Both Reed and Jordan are stage veterans. Each actor has 35 years of performing on stage. Both have appeared in New York, off Broadway, in Broadway nationals and abroad. They are entering their fourth decade of friendship on and off the stage and are both founding members of CityRep Theatre, which has been playing to Oklahoma City audiences for ten years.
“Don and I went to OCU together so we it was our dream in college to build an equity theatre in Oklahoma City,” said Reed. “You can’t get into any major theatre without an equity card.” Both actors worked together and were on the road many times. “Those days on the road were a primer for ideas on putting together a successful theatre. The idea germinated in school and continued to evolve over the years.”
“We have a lifelong collaboration on stage and off,” adds Jordan. “We just finished It’s a Wonderful Life the live radio show on stage in Enid and it was great to be on the road together again.” CityRep Artistic Assistant Michael Jones also joined them in Enid.
Reed and Jordan extended a special thanks to Dick Dulaney, Jackie West, Hilda Lewis, Dr. Susan Chambers and Dr. Kyle Toal who worked tirelessly supporting this theatre. “There are really so many others. Running a theatre is like a building and you cant do it with out any of the bricks.”
This show by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams will preview Nov. 20, with opening night Nov 21. It then will play through Dec. 13th.
For ticket information, call the Civic Center Music Hall Box Office at 297-2264 or the CityRep ticket hotline at 848-3761.
