Author and humorist David Sedaris was first discovered, by Ira Glass - host of This American Life on NPR - while reading his diary in a Chicago club. Ira was taken by Sedaris’ (real life) account of working (at the age of 33) as an Elf (named Crumpet) in Macy’s Christmas-time SantaLand in Manhattan. In 1992, two days before Christmas, Sedaris took his story to the radio and debuted “The SantaLand Diaries” on Morning Edition. Sedaris’ cynical and hilarious, Christmas-time confession of being a broke, base and homosexual elf became an instant hit, positioned Sedaris to become a ‘minor phenomenon’ as the New York Times put it, and launched his publishing career.
Since then The SantaLand Diaries has been adapted for the stage as a one-man, one-act play and become a Holiday staple running in regional theatres across the country.
The Bug Theatre Company’s current presentation of The SantaLand Diaries is a must see this Holiday season. Gary Culig, a Parker, Colorado native turned New York City transplant, reprises his role of Sedaris aka Crumpet for the ninth straight year. Even while standing in line to purchase my tickets Culig received wonderful accolades as several people inquired if he would be playing Sedaris again and the answer was, "Of course, it wouldn’t be the same with out him.”
Sedaris’ Christmas is a knock-down-drag-out. He makes fun of disabled children and feels sorry for everyone else. He is dismayed by the people who stand in line for hours to see Santa, yet he is the one who's full-time job requires a uniform of green velvet knickers lined with candy cane fur.
Like the Ghost of Christmas Past or Future, Culig also takes the audience on tour of Christmas spirit. Only instead of viewing scenes that might warms one’s heart or inspire goodness, Culig hauls the audience through SantaLand and all it’s stops (Santa’s shack, the Magic Tree, the Oh My God Hallway) and in doing so proffers poignant and side-splitting insights into the holiday shopping machine (“only seven shopping days left before Christmas”), family relations, sexual shortcomings, greed and Sederis’ own helpless, yet judgmental nature.
The SantaLand Diaries is on stage at the Bug Theatre now.
Remaining December dates include: 12/14, 15, 16*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23*, & 26
All evening shows begin at 8:00 PM
* Sunday matinees at 2PM on the 16th & 23rd
Reservations in advance are recommended
Tickets: $26/23
Bug Theatre Company
[where: 3654 Navajo Street, Denver, CO 80211]
303-477-9984
www.bugtheatre.org
