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.

“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