A Fishy Holiday

Thanksgiving means a million scents are in the air. Turkey and pumpkin pie, sure, but also wafting in are the smells of the holiday season that doesn’t really start earlier every year, but we curmudgeons like to say it does lest we run out of things to grouse about. So take a whiff of the eggnog lattes, chestnuts roasting if you can find ’em, and, of course, Tuna. Lots and lots of Tuna. For some reason, it’s A Tuna Christmas all over the Bay Area. In the East Bay, San Leandro’s California Conservatory Theatre is doing Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard’s comedic Greater Tuna sequel in which two actors portray the entire population of Tuna, Texas. In this case those two are Michael Patrick Gaffney and Colin Thomson, directed by Michael Ryken. In this yuletide installment, a local production of A Christmas Carol is plagued by mishaps and some shadowy figure is wreaking havoc with the town yard-decorating competition. But Tuna’s busting out all over the bay: Pacific Alliance Stage Company is doing the same show up at Rohnert Park’s Spreckels Performing Arts Center, and San Jose Stage Company has it in the South Bay. Not to be outdone, Fremont’s Broadway West Theatre Company is doing the original Greater Tuna, with Jim Woodbury directing Robin Dunn and Todd Wright. Only San Francisco, where Greater Tuna ran for seven years in the late ’80s and early ’90s, is a Tuna-free zone this holiday season. Texas’ fictional third-smallest town seems to be getting bigger all the time. A Tuna Christmas plays through December 16 at California Conservatory Theatre, 999 E. 14th St., San Leandro. Tickets $20-$22, available at 510-632-8508 or CCT-SL.org. Greater Tuna runs through December 22 at Broadway West, 4000-B Bay St., Fremont. Tickets $15-$20, available at 510-683-9218 or BroadwayWest.org