Review: The Santaland Diaries (Theater Wit, 2015)

  
  
The Santaland Diaries 

Written by David Sedaris
Adapted by Joe Mantello
Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map)
thru Dec 30  |  tix: $24-$36  | more info
  
Check for half-price tickets  

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A decadent treat for the holiday weary returns!

Theater Wit presents

The Santaland Diaries

Review by Clint May 

Reading David Sedaris (or as with this work, hearing it live on NPR in 1992), one gets the impression that really, any job, however basic, would provide him with enough grist to be turned into a wryly amusing essay on same. Despite the mild controversy of a fact-checking that would show Sedaris had manufactured or exaggerated several elements of his time at Macy’s Santaland in NYC, his poetic license created enough believable stories to sound remarkably fresh twenty-three years later. Mitchell Fain’s one man show as the candy-striped elf himself has become a holiday tradition in Chicago—as necessary as a copy of “Naked” on any respectable Gen Xer bookshelf or bourbon in the egg nog.

In a breezy 80 minutes, Sedaris-cum-Fain recounts with panache and sardonic wit the month of hard labor leading up to the hellscape of Christmas Eve. From an oddly intensive interview where he’s christened “Crumpet” to various posts throughout the amusement park ranging from the mildly degrading to the very degrading. Having only taken the job as a matter of last resort, Sedaris is perfectly positioned to make observations as an outsider looking in. With an arch wit and world weary charm, he catalogues the various horrors of people trying to create the perfect holiday memory while eradicating any pretense of civility in the present. Snooty racists asking for white Santas (they always got ‘Jerome’), parents painfully art directing the perfect picture (prefiguring the curation of a perfect Facebook Family), and kids with hipster names like “Book” are giddily held up for our knowing laughter. A (possibly made-up) encounter with a genuinely saintly Santa in the midst of madness even manages to give a glimmer of the true meaning of Christmas.

Fain has honed his interpretation with director Jeremy Wechsler, and chews every moment with aplomb mingled with a sprig of ennui—perfect for Sedaris. It’s clear the piece has been mildly updated (at one point Fain references ‘microaggressions’) and audience interaction is integral as Fain perfectly exploits whatever happens with the audience, ensuring every visit will be a little different. Where Fain ends and Sedaris begins is a little hard to say at times.

Don some ‘gay’ apparel—or that ugly sweater you only bring out for theme parties as a show of solidarity with elves everywhere—and skate on down to The Santaland Diaries. An effervescent edge is always a welcome addition to any sophisticated holiday party, and Fain and company are just as essential as uncensored “Christmas Vacation” viewings for anyone surfeited with sentimentality.

Rating: ★★★

The Santaland Diaries continues through December 30th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map), with performances Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays 7:30pm and 9:30pm, Sundays 3pm.  Tickets are $24-$36, and are available by phone (773-975-8150) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information and a complete performance schedule at TheaterWit.org.  (Running time: 80 minutes without intermission)

Photos by Johnny Knight

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artists

cast

Mitchell Fain (Macy’s elf)

behind the scenes

Jeremy Wechsler (director), Joey Wade (scenic design), Mike Durst (lighting design), Mara Blumenfeld (costume design), Joseph Fosco (sound design), Dana M. Nestrick (stage manager), Johnny Knight (photos)

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