Art Gallery

By Kevin Lee Associate Editor

A Tuna Christmas

Where: Mobile Theatre Guild

(14 N. Lafayette St.)

When: Dec. 7, 8 & 9

This comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard is a sequel to Greater Tuna, the Southern-fried comedy Mobile Theatre Guild presented to delighted audiences earlier this year

The scenario is thus: It’s Christmas Eve in Tuna, “the third smallest town in Texas where the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.” The power company might pull the plug on “A Christmas Carol” and a mysterious figure threatens the Annual Lawn-Decorating Contest.

Jake Coleman and Christopher Spencer portray a town’s worth of characters.

The Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m.and the Sunday matinee is through Bay Area Inclusion only.

Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and military, $8 for students.

For more info, call 433-7513 or go to www.mobiletheatreguild.org.

Book discussion of “Like Trees, Walking” by Ravi Howard

Where: West Regional Branch of the Mobile Public Library (5555 Grelot Rd.)

When: Thursday, Dec. 13, 6 p.m.

In his acclaimed debut novel, Alabama native Howard revisits a 1981 Mobile lynching in this extended version of his short story that won the 2001 Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award. The author will be present for this event.

Inspired by the Michael Donald slaying, the story revolves a young mortician whose brother discovers a body hanging from a camphor tree. While the protagonist prepares the body for burial, the town struggles to reconcile the lynching with any notions its residents have of racial progress. Through the case Howard visits a premise that even with justice, there are some stains never erased by time.

For more info, call Betty Kidd at 251-340-8561or 251-208-7097.

MOJO Holiday Jam

Where: Gulf City Lodge (601 State St.)

When: Monday, Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m.

The Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed’s annual winter jam session materializes a week early this year in order to crank up the season rather than cap it.

Local saxophone legend Theodore Arthur, who has a history with Bobby Blue Bland and Aretha Franklin, brings his combo to the stage of the historic Gulf City Lodge to help the aficionados revel in the holiday season.

All area musicians interested in testing their chops onstage are encouraged to bring an axe and sign up at the door.

MOJO members are asked to bring a covered dish or dessert to add to the customary Creole fare and all attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Mobile Area Food Bank.

Entrance is $7 for MOJO members, $10 for non-members and free for participating jam musicians.

For more info, call 459-2298 or e-mail mobilejazz@bellsouth.net.

Kevin Lee is Lagniappe associate editor. Contact him at klee@lagniappemobile.com.

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