Tryon Little Theater’s ghostly visitation

Published 9:42 pm Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Tena Greene-Porter – normally a sweet, softly spoken woman – takes on the role of Fruma-Sarah for Tryon Little Theater’s (TLT) production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Softly-spoken she may be, but you probably haven’t heard her ghostly-apparition voice lately. In the show, Fruma-Sarah is the deceased wife of the butcher, Lazar Wolf, who is promised the hand of Tevye, the dairyman’s eldest daughter.

Through some love-induced complications, Tevye has to convince his wife that Lazar is not the man for their daughter. So Tevye concocts a vivid dream where Lazar’s dead wife, Fruma-Sarah, makes an appearance to dissuade them from the match.

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“How can you allow it? How? How can you let your daughter take my place? Live in my house…carry my keys and wear my clothes…pearls…how?” she asks, in a voice that will make your hair stand on end. Then she gets violent.

Although Greene is almost unrecognizable in her make-up and costume in this role, her husband, Steve Porter (who is also in the show), tells everyone who will listen that this isn’t such a stretch for her.

“This is how she is before her first cup of coffee in the mornings,” he says.

“Fiddler on the Roof” runs Feb. 20 – 23 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center (34 Melrose Avenue). Tickets are on sale now at the TLT Workshop (516 S. Trade St. Tryon). Box office hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday 4-7 p.m. Visit www.tltinfo.org or call 828-859-2466 for more information.

– article submitted by Monica Jones