The Santaland Diaries Review
Each year we try and do a different play and our favorite theatre is the Actors Theatre in downtown Louisville, KY. This year we made a whole night of it in the city and ate at the Old Spaghetti factory and stayed at the Gault House as well. When we saw that The Santaland Diaries was playing this year, along with The Christmas Carol, we chose to opt for the one we had never seen before. Truth be told I had never even heard of the The Santaland diaries and neither had Aaron, but it was something we had not yet seen so we went with it.
The play is actually based on journal entries from David Sedaris, who was a struggling actor in New York City, who took a job as an elf at Macy's during the Holidays. He chronicled his wild and crazy days by journaling his days as an elf named Crumpet and then later became famous by retelling the stories in what is now called The Santaland Diaries. In 1996 they adapted his journals into a theatrical performance and now has been enjoyed by millions and translated into 25 languages.
When Aaron and I first got to the theatre it was in the Victory Jory Theatre, which is much smaller and more intimate, than the larger theatre where we had previously seen The Christmas Carol. There was a table of programs and a bowl of name tags with cute elf names on them like, Nut Cracker and Holly Parton haha. Aaron was terrified these were to get people involved in the show and that is was an interactive part of the play, something that would be his worst nightmare ha ha. I loved it though and thought it was adorable and was secretly hoping he was right and would get called down on the stage lol but no they are just for fun! There was no set or decorations, only a black faux brick theatre with seats to hold about 100 people or so, and a string of Christmas lights on the floor. Since Aaron and I had seen The Christmas Carol the previous year and it is a very large production, we weren't exactly sure what we had gotten ourselves into. When we started reading the program we realized it was only one actor, and when he walked out in regular street clothes and no costume, and I would be lying if I said we both weren't a little apprehensive and kicking ourselves for not doing our research on the play. However, once the play started and Crumpet the elf started telling the audience how he became and elf at Macy's and drew the crowd in with his hilarious sarcasm and darker sense of humor, we were soon entranced.
Crumpet the elf did a great job of telling his story with such detail, that you could truly see the craziness of Macy's at Christmas time in New York. As he went on detailing how much he hated his job as a jolly elf, he would open hidden doors and hidden entry ways and soon, the once all black faux brick room, was a colorful Christmas wonderland, or Santaland as the play is called. At one point during the play, Crumpet the Elf goes into detail over his hatred for his terrible all velvet costume and then before our eyes he changes from everyday clothing into the costume he was just discussing. It was hilarious and full of shock factor and slowly but surely the whole room was engrossed in a story time that was unfolding right before our eyes.
The play is a darker twist on Christmas and gives a humorous take on the craziness of behind the scenes of Santaland and what it is really like for the employees at Macy's during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. It plays on the sarcasm of struggling actors who take roles as elves or Santa's helpers, who are in desperate need of actual Christmas spirit themselves but have to put on fake holly-jolly for the kiddos and customers at Macy's. This play is definitely geared more towards a mature audience and does have a lot of adult humor and some stronger language. I would not say this play is family friendly but is a fun, different type performance to see, especially with a date or group of friends.
As someone who is obsessed with all things Christmas and loves the whimsy and magic of the holidays, I wouldn't necessarily say this darker humor and twist on Christmas was right up my alley, but it was fun, something different and we did get some good laughs! Aaron and I both love comedy and we could appreciate the sarcasm and jokes this performance brought. I really enjoyed how Bear Brummel completely transformed the set while acting and by the end of the performance you were looking at a glimpse into Santaland and no longer a blank theatre. He also did a wonderful job of carrying the play solely, without it becoming boring or lack luster. I cant imagine memorizing all those lines and being the only actor trying to captivate an audience for an hour, that takes a lot of talent and something I was super impressed by.
If you have seen this play or are planning to see it leave me a comment down below and let me know your thoughts on the play. This is my favorite date night of the year and something I always look forward to, so I cant wait to review more plays for you in the future and hope maybe this sparks a fun new tradition in your family! If there is another Christmas play or performance you recommend us see, please leave those down below as well!
Thank you all for stopping by and hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Be Well,
Katelyn
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