While I’ve lived in Southern California for over half my life, the Ghosts of Christmas Past always manage to pull me straight back to my home state of Texas. For better and for worse.
Texas still lives in my bones, even though I choose to be anywhere but there.
When the homesickness inevitably creeps in, I do my best to focus on the moments that made me laugh, shaped my sense of humor, and helped me survive growing up queer in a place that did not always feel built for someone like me.
One of those memories is discovering A Tuna Christmas.
If you are not familiar with it, it’s a play I cannot recommend enough. It was my first real introduction to what I now think of as punk rock theater. Punk rock not because of loud guitars or safety pins, but because it boldly mocked the very culture that showed up to watch it. The audience was in on the joke, even as the joke was very much on them too.
Set in the fictional small town of Tuna, Texas, the play skewers small-town politics, religion, gender roles, and holiday hypocrisy with razor-sharp wit and surprising affection.
Jaston Williams and Joe Sears play—through a series of brilliant quick-changes—a rotating cast of wildly exaggerated characters, all of whom feel just real enough to recognize. Especially if you grew up anywhere near the Bible Belt.
Seeing that show for the first time felt like permission to laugh at the things that once felt heavy. Permission to critique the world I came from without completely rejecting it. It reminded me that humor can be a form of survival, and that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is tell the truth with a wink.
So when the Bah Humbug blues start knocking, I lean into memories like that. The art that cracked me open. The laughter that helped me feel less alone. The reminders that even in places that caused pain, there were sparks of joy, creativity, love, and connection.
Homesickness does not always mean you want to go back. Sometimes it just means you are honoring where you came from, while choosing who you get to be now.
And if all else fails, a little punk rock theater never hurts.
To those who celebrate the holidays, may love and light surround you and yours. The same goes to those who don’t. We’re all brothers, sisters, and siblings in my book.
Whatever you do…keep calm and eat cookies!
Clint 🌈✌️
P.S. If you prefer a city-slicker, GenX musical, I recommend RENT. Or RuPaul’s holiday classic, Ho Ho Ho.
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PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I didn't get dressed like this to go unnoticed.”
Liberace
Clint, just spent two hours with Christmas in Tuna, great way to spend a Christmas Eve. Laughed a lot. Thanks for the intro. Fondly Michael.
I saw Tuna (I don't recall the exact title) in SF. It would have been 1981 or perhaps 1989. Hilarious and in a small theatre it was quite immersive. My concept of home is where I am, whenever and wherever it is. I will look forward to watching Tuna Christmas at my leisure. so I thank you.