Tristan Seaver Is Seriously Silly in Warm-Hearted Holiday Farce

Tristan Seaver plays three diverse roles:  DENNIS, the banker (with Kristi Schwartz as Tawny) ...

JERRY, a merry and gay old soul (with Shayla Curran as Allie) ...

... and RICH (upper right), the brow-beaten husband of Angie (in scrubs, played by Ansley Barnard)
PHOTOS by Jim Kelly

In Let Nothing You Dismay at the Farmington Players (November 30 – December 15), 10 actors play 25 characters in a fast-paced yet sophisticated farce centering on the birth of a child on Christmas Day.  As adoptive parents await their baby’s arrival, their entire extended families descend on the hospital.  The stakes are raised when the birth mother flees after having second thoughts about giving up her baby.  Amid constant costume changes and hilarious one-liners, the action is fast and furious. And yet, despite all the hilarity, the play’s messages about family and forgiveness are heartfelt and sincere.   As Tristan Seaver says, Let Nothing You Dismay is “the perfect mix of silly and serious.”

Tristan plays three very distinct characters and he enjoys the challenge in their “variety, their different backgrounds, manners of speaking, slouching, relationships, and world views. Each character has their own voice, posture, and hairstyle.”  Dennis is a thrice-divorced banker who only understands financial motivations.  Tristan calls him “a somewhat emotionally stunted individual. He does have feelings, desires, dreams, and goals, but he often can't express them well with other people, and he's gotten far too used to using money to fix his problems. It takes a little while for him to get into the swing of regular family interaction.”

Tim and Jerry are a gay married couple that arrive in ugly Christmas sweaters and matching Santa hats.  Tristan plays Jerry, who he describes as “a very interested observer. He's along for the ride and loves every minute he can be a part of it. Whether it's the hide-and-seek of finding the birth mother Lizzie, the relationship talk and distraction he has with adoptive mother Allie, or the bit of drinking he attempts with Tawny, he's mildly intoxicated with the whirlwind experience he's involved with.”

Rich is the browbeaten husband of Angie, a successful neurosurgeon.  Tristan imagines an inventive back-story for him:  “Rich has been beaten by life. With no stated accomplishments of his own, I assume that he's a househusband. He'd thought he'd gotten a winner with a Jewish wife that's intelligent, determined, and accomplished, but such a woman easily took the reins on his life and has never let go. He can't even control his kids, because they know that he doesn't have the final word in anything. He's similar to Jerry in that he's along for the ride, but he's a VERY unwilling participant.”

I asked Tristan if he can relate personally to the crazy families portrayed in Let Nothing You Dismay.  His response: “On several occasions I know for certain that I've ruined family meetings. Or at least made them far more interesting for all involved parties. But every time it happened I believe I was trying to follow through on the maxim of providing my family with what I decided they needed.”

Tristan was drawn to Let Nothing You Dismay because “it hit a lot of positives for me. I like doing community theater, I like meeting new people, I like farces, and I like playing multiple characters in the same show. This is my first show at the Barn, but everyone has been warm, welcoming, and wonderful.”  Tristan was born and raised in the Detroit area, and he recently returned from China.  He has worked as a teacher, missionary, line worker, and plastic factory worker, and currently drives for Lyft.  As for hobbies, he says, “When I'm not involved in theater, I enjoy other forms of pretending, like playing video games, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and weight lifting.”

Let Nothing You Dismay has 10 performances at the Farmington Players Barn Theater from November 30 – December 15.  The show is proudly sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers.  Tickets are available online at farmingtonplayers.org or by emailing boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or calling the Barn box office at 248-553-2955.