It has been 14 Christmases since humorist David Sedaris first launched his career by reading "The Santaland Diaries" on National Public Radio, describing his less-than-jolly experience as a Macy's Christmas elf. The story, adapted for the stage, is a witty, sardonic, frequently outrageous, lovingly bitter and outright hilarious take on the holiday spirit. In the hands of the AU Players, it very well may become a cherished anti-holiday tradition.
Adapted from the short story in Sedaris' first compilation "Barrel Fever," the play is typically done by one actor, playing Sedaris through his trials and tribulations of the holiday season. Anne Veal, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and the director of the show, gave this a creative twist: Instead of one character speaking to the audience, she split it into six different elves who operate with unique personalities as they cynically deliver commentary on the holiday shoppers (and the big man in red).
"We really like the script. We thought it was really funny and it was a Christmas show that we wanted to do, but we didn't want to do a show that was only one actor," Veal said. "We kind of created these different characters out of the different aspects of David Sedaris' personality."
Last year the play opened to packed houses, and with this level of performance a similar turnout should probably be expected. This change makes the show more interactive, with the remaining actors performing as background to the monologue being performed.
Compared to last year, "it's a much darker show. There's more stage direction [and] there's more interaction," said cast member Grant Helms, a junior in CAS and the School of Public Affairs. Switching from one elf and one distinct personality to another while the other actors and ensemble speak is perplexing at first, but quickly proves to be a pleasant innovation to the material. Veal admits that there isn't much plot to cover, but the gap is more than enough filled with the comedy of the writing.
"As far as the storytelling of it, we weren't really worried about the clarity, we were just focusing on the humor of it," said Veal.
The humor is certainly there. Sedaris' trademark dry wit permeates every word of the script. The basic premise doesn't stray far from the bitter elf in a mall format, but what changes are the various gifts of retribution that the elves give out in a hysterically outrageous fashion. When the elves are forced to learn sign language for the deaf children, an elf tells the neighborhood deaf child that "Santa has a tumor in his head," all in sign language, of course. The main elf, Crumpet, talks of his dealings with one store Santa, named Santa Santa, who refuses to drop the Claus act even after work. An elf reminisces about how the magic tree actually looks like a human intestine, while another informs a tantrum-throwing child that Santa no longer delivers coal to bad children - he goes back to their house and takes things.
"I think everyone who has those odd jobs in their life can relate to this show," Helms said. "I worked in a Panera one summer, and it was a very interesting place because you would get people of all walks of life - just like Santaland, and there would be people you had to deal with all the time."
Other actors said they had similar experiences in the service industry that helped them relate to their characters in the show.
"When I worked at the Gap, I worked at Gap Kids, and often times the parents would be like throwing their kids to me," said Jennifer Cumberworth, a sophomore in the School of Communication. "You don't exactly know how to react to that uneasiness."
"The Santaland Diaries" is a welcome production for this year's holiday season. Its dry, satirical humor is an appropriate diversion from the stress from the year-end finals ritual, as well as a wonderful piece of entertainment by its own merit. The elves' sardonic commentary on the holiday season will be sure to keep you ho-ho-ho-ing through the whole holiday season.
