‘Santaland Diaries’ opens Cardinal’s holiday season

It’s a typical story known by most. Guy eagerly moves to the Big Apple with dreams bigger than the skyscrapers that crowd Manhattan.

Guy struggles to survive the concrete jungle and his dreams become increasingly
impractical.

The reality of survival begins to outweigh the idealism of dreams. So, he becomes a Macy’s Christmas elf. 

OK, so maybe the end is a twist to the cliche story, but David Sedaris is not known for being typical.

In “The Santaland Diaries,” the humor writer tells the story of Crumpet, a man who introduces readers to his holiday hell.

Bloomington’s Cardinal Stage Company opens its production of “The Santaland Diaries” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at the Ivy Tech Waldron Auditorium.

Sedaris, who recently visited the IU Auditorium, wrote the story based on his actual experience as the Macy’s Christmas elf. An NPR regular, Sedaris kick-started his career with this humorous holiday story, which was later turned into the one-man show.

The show chronicles the outlandish tale of a man who, after reluctantly giving up dreams of writing for the soap “One Life to Live,” accepts a job as Macy’s Christmas elf.

Crumpet, the man, despite big dreams to take New York City by storm, is reduced to a hilarious existence in Santaland.

While Crumpet might not find his predicament hilarious, the audience is given several opportunities to laugh.

“He finds himself surrounded by self-important Santas, hyper children, hysterical parents and an assortment of wacky Macy’s customers,” Randy White, artistic director for the show, said. “Noting that ‘Santa’ is just an anagram for ‘Satan,’ the new elf soon comes to believe that he has landed the job from hell.”

Actor Scot Greenwell, who previously played Seymour in Cardinal’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” plays Crumpet.

This is not the first time Crumpet takes the stage at the Waldron Auditorium. The Waldron’s last production of “The Santaland Diaries” was in 2008.

“I think people were surprised that a one-person show could be so completely dramatic and engaging,” White said of the 2008 production. “They also liked that SantaLand is off-beat and droll and skewers the ridiculousness of the holiday season.”

Following its four-day stint in Bloomington, this production of “The SantaLand Diaries” will move to Indianapolis from Dec. 2 to 12. White said Cardinal Stage Company hopes the production will prove the quality of theater in Bloomington.

“We want Bloomington to be a real destination theater town,” White said.

'The Santaland Diaries'
WHEN Nov. 24 to 28
WHERE Ivy Tech Waldron Auditorium
COST Tickets range from $13 to $21 depending on date of show. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cardinalstage.org.