On Christmas Eve last year, I found myself squeezing superglue onto an old man’s tooth, in an empty storefront at the local mall. The man, of course, was Mr. Santa Claus himself. He had lost the tooth in a frenzy of holiday spirit, to the sharp elbows of a 2-year-old girl. Santa spit his tooth into the palm of his white-gloved hand, and beckoned me, his favourite elf, to assist him in the back room.
It wasn’t until the superglue came out of the tube that I realized it was black. To all those parents who had to explain Santa’s tooth rot to their toddlers, I am sorry. The season must go on. For the rest of you – the ones laughing at my misfortune – have I got a show for you….
Humorist David Sedaris is probably best known for his collections of stories and essays, including the Thurber Prize winning Me Talk Pretty One Day, and for his frequent readings on NPR’s This American Life. I met him years ago at a Halloween event. A small, shy man with a bashful voice, he drew a witch’s broom on the inside cover of my book. It looked more like a showerhead.
The Santaland Diaries may be Sedaris’ best-known work; it was certainly his break-out hit. A long-form essay describing his experience as an elf at the Mecca of Christian Consumerism, The Santaland Diaries is apalling, sardonic, bitter and funny.
The Portland Center Stage studio production of Joe Mantello’s stage adaptation enlivens the essay through an energetic one-man performance.
You may recall the talented Wade McCollum from his acrobatic performance in PCS’s Batboy: the Musical. Charming, expressive and dynamic, McCollum is a strong vocalist. His strong performance evokes characters not only of narrator, Crumpet the Elf, but of the whole holiday city in the depths of Macy’s department store, from his fellow elves, to enthusiastically vomiting children, to Billie Holiday herself.
Actor/singer/playwright/songwriter McCollum delivers a full-body performance with enough depth to make you forget you are attending a one-man show. He takes a responsive approach, engaging the front rows in light banter, allowing the audience to take ownership of the show.
McCollum’s de facto co-stars are the lighting and sound designs by Don Crossley, and by Sarah Picket and Casi Pacilio. The talented production team have created a multimedia dialog with sensory commentary. The result is a rich, complete production that is understated yet fully realized.
Director Wendy Knox describes the production as “scathingly honest.” Even to the most un-cheery patrons, I would recommend the small black-box production, solely for the five-minute foray into Satanland. The production is biting but light, and certain to evoke a laugh or twelve.
Now through January 2nd at Portland Center Stage.
Show up early. Seating is by general admission.
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