“The Santaland Diaries” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

[rating=4]Steven Strafford stars as Crumpet the Elf in David Sedaris’s one-man show “The Santaland Diaries”, now playing at the Goodman Theatre.  Skillfully choreographed by director Steve Scott and adapted by Joe Mantello, this beloved holiday production is a bawdy and brutally observant take on the triumphs and travails of a man who works as Santa’s helper at Macy’s flagship department store in Midtown Manhattan.

The artful and versatile Strafford performs a powerful 70-minute standup act.  He describes the process of becoming a Macy’s employee and how his unusual and thankless job means greeting lots of people and literally putting on a happy face.  Strafford amazes us with his alacrity, authenticity, and spontaneity in breathing life into so many funny lines and realistic anecdotes.  To get up there every night and do the perfect monologue (rarely taking a breath or a drink of water) is an extraordinary feat.  With his robust expressions and polished antics, he engages the entire audience in his narrative.  Wow!

This is a straightforward, easy story to watch with no complicated plot to unravel.  Anxious to have a paycheck, a struggling 33-year-old actor is goaded by his roommate into applying for a job as an elf and does whatever is necessary to deal with temperamental Santa Clauses, difficult colleagues, self-centered parents, and crying babies. We never learn his real name, just his elven one: Crumpet.  This is, in fact, the most perfect name for a submissive seasonal sidekick.  A crumpet is another name for a scone.  But if you deconstruct the word, you get Crumb and Pet.  What could be lowlier than a crumb?  Who can be more subservient than a pet?

When Crumpet’s reflections on his work life differ from his public persona, humorous contradictions bubble up to the surface.  Yet the audience’s reaction to the comic elements was notably uneven.  Some jokes were funnier than others.  Other jokes fell flat to some people but not to everybody.  Several anecdotes not meant to be funny or meant as dark humor got a confused reaction; a nervous giggle occasionally broke out among those who felt they should be laughing.  Some people apparently wanted most of the heartfelt and deeply reflective stories to be funny ones, which they weren’t—and didn’t need to be.  Yet something wasn’t right.  From my perspective, something had clearly changed in the mind of the audience since the original broadcast of “Diaries” on National Public Radio in 1992.  This performance begged the question of what may have changed and why.

In Ben Healy’s March 2018 article in The Atlantic, entitled “What Makes Something Funny”, the author writes:

“…Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Descartes, and Baudelaire, hold… that we are amused when we are made to feel superior to others. Freud, for his part, suggested that forbidden things are hilarious (because humor is a pressure valve for repressive psychic energy). Yet another approach, pioneered by Kant and Schopenhauer and affirmed by Henny Youngman, sees humor as arising from incongruity: When conventions are undermined by an absurd situation, we’re tickled.”

The audience often laughs at seeing a grown man play the part of an elf; because on the surface, this seems so absurd.  Then too, Crumpet’s refreshing frankness about his role is what Freud would have called a release of socially repressed energy; his revelation of true feelings is likely to be funny.  But the audience’s mixed reactions probably have the most to do with Plato’s notion of humor.  What this means is that audience members who would never seriously consider taking such a lowly job as that of an elf or cartoon character are more likely to find many of the jokes funny as compared to those living in Crumpet’s financial situation: of having to sing for their supper.

Sedaris’s acerbic wit and raucous humor works well to the extent that we know that the elven gig is only temporary.  When he wrote “Diaries”, the underlying assumption in the United States was that of hopefulness:  Despite the economic downturn of 1991, everybody knew that the economy would eventually bounce back and that taking an odd, inappropriate job was merely a steppingstone.  But over the past 27 years, employment opportunities have shifted significantly.  Those with fewer skills are having a harder time to find meaningful and well-paid work.  Those who once manned assembly lines have had to retool and learn new trades—or work at packing boxes at Amazon.  Today more people might identify Crumpet’s underemployment as being a permanent condition, not just a temporary blip.  This makes the underlying story sadder—and the entire show less humorous—but definitely very real.

Another shift in emphasis between 1992 and 2019 has had to do with issues concerning race:  The discussion of having a white versus black Santa Claus has a slightly different nuance nowadays.  Plus references to celebrities of the past, such as Walter Cronkite, Phil Collins, Cher, and Clint Eastwood, for example, serve as a trip down memory lane.  Viewers of all ages, however, can clearly understand the public’s obsession with high-profile individuals, whether the names are fresh in their mind or not.  Today Crumpet’s story remains frozen in time, while the Macy’s holiday tradition continues.

The festive and supremely appropriate set design, complete with the enormous Santa’s chair, is the creation of Kevin Depinet.  Director Scott’s facile use of this set is exceptional, for a solo character monologue could have become exceedingly dull without Strafford’s vital movement using all parts of the stage.  Lighting designer Mike Durst creates magical and fun effects in keeping with Crumpet’s actions and his overall mood.  Rachel Lambert does a nice job with traditional costuming.

When we walk into “The Santaland Diaries”, our expectation is that the show will be jubilant and light, largely due to its cheery set; but we soon discover that this is not the case.  Instead, we discover a deeper meaning through all of Crumpet’s ups and downs.  This is not just a story about Santa’s accomplice with a green cap and bells and turned-up shoes; it’s about heart.  Crumpet’s day-to-day work in retail was a grind:  He had to worry about cash drawers; concern himself with getting along with his employers, colleagues, and the general public; and even clean up children’s vomit.  His paycheck purchased the material things he needed to survive.  This was a job that he didn’t really want and never really liked.  But what stuck with him was the desire to put smiles on children’s faces.  Behind the face of this joyous holiday helper was the sincere wish to spread a culture of unconditional kindness and generosity.

The selfless service to others by various Santas and their assistants helped to make the magic of Macy’s back in December 1991.  But today’s production at the Goodman Theatre carries with it a greater ambition: the magic of making those sitting in the audience more elfish and less selfish.  Although Crumpet’s elven gig lasted only one Christmas, the elven legacy of doing good and being of good cheer remains everlasting.  By giving of ourselves to our friends, family, and neighbors—and even perfect strangers—we can make the spirit of the season go viral.  Uplifting ourselves in the process of uplifting others is the greatest miracle of them all.

“The Santaland Diaries” is playing at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, through December 29th, in the Owen Theatre.

Tickets are $25 – $67, subject to change, and are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Carol, by phone at 312-443-3800, by fax at 312-443-3825, or at the box office, 170 N. Dearborn.

The performance schedule is as follows:

Wednesdays – 7:00 p.m.

Thursdays – 7:00 p.m.

Fridays – 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays – 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sundays – 2:00 p.m.

Additional performances:

Tuesday, December 17 – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 22 – 6:30 p.m.

Monday, December 23 – 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 24 – 2:00 p.m.

Touch Tour and Audio Described Performance – Sunday, December 15 – 12:30 p.m.

ASL Interpreted Performance – Thursday, December 19 – 7:00 p.m.

Visit Goodman Theatre.org/Access for more information.

Half-price day-of-performance mezzanine tickets available at 10:00 a.m. online (promo code MEZZTIX)

Student $10 day-of tickets; limit four, with valid student ID (promo code 10TIX)

Group sales are available for parties of 10 or more, contact 312-443-3820.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Santaland Diaries”.

Second viewpoint by Frank Meccia

SANTALAND DIARIES

Highly recommend

Reviewed by: Frank Meccia

December is month where all the holiday favorites come out at all the local theatres in Chicago. Each one as dripping with honey, but sometimes you just want to see something that is still the holiday, but without all the “It’s a Wonderful Life “sweetness. Well, the Goodman Theatre has the perfect show for you, SANTALAND DIARIES. This short less then 75 minutes long show written by David Sedaris, lacks all the sugar from the other shows, but keeps you laughing for over an hour. The play is about a fresh new unemployed actor who arrives in NYC waiting for fame, to be on his favorite soap opera, instead he finds himself unemployed and auditions at the last moment to be an Elf for Macy’s department store. Our Elf called Crumpet is played by the wonderful boyish Steven Strafford, who takes us on the interview process, his interpretation of the other people trying to be elves, and of course the different Santa’s. This humor is for adults, so don’t bring the children. But to be fair nothing over the top in the words used, just how many kids want to see an Elf smoke on his break?  The play is in the Owen Theatre, the smaller theatre at the Goodman, but the perfect size for this intimate and charming play. You will enjoy the Holiday sets, perfect recreation of the North Pole at Macy’s. Great way to take a break from shopping at Macy’s down the street and spend a short time with a Hot Chocolate or hot coffee and see a quick play.

Santaland Diaries is playing till December 29^th at the Goodman Theatre. December 19^th the performance will be with the American Sign Language, for the hearing impaired. Goodman Theatre is located at 170 N. Dearborn Street.