Theatre Project to Present THE SANTA CLOSET

Theatre Project is thrilled to present New York solo performer JEFFREY SOLOMON in his Off-Broadway comedy, THE SANTA CLOSET, about a little boy seeking validation and the closeted holiday icon too scared to give it.

THE SANTA CLOSET tells the story of Gary, a little boy who writes to Santa Claus for a fashion doll, receives a truck instead, and pens a heart-rending letter to the North Pole that stirs the great Holiday Icon's soul, pushing him out of the closet and into the culture wars. Appearing December 10-20. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with matinees Saturdays 2pm and Sundays at 3pm. The Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. Baltimore, Tickets at theatreproject.org or 410-752-8558.

A theatrical documentarian inspired by Anna Deveare Smith and the Laramie Project, Mr. Solomon purports to have interviewed, and portrays, all of the key players in the scandal that has come to be known as "Santa-Gate." These include little gay Gary, his confused mom and angry dad, Kringle's Agent Sid Green (aka "The Little Jew Who Saved Christmas"), Santa's fake-actress wife, his one true love: an Italian toy maker named Giovanni, and Mary Ellen Banfield, a conservative activist who sees in Santa's coming out a sinister attempt by the Gay Agenda to covert the world's children into homosexuality. Christmas may never be the same again!

Mr. Solomon, in a moment of rare candor, actually admitted to the VILLAGE VOICE in 2009, that his play (formerly called SANTA CLAUS IS COMING OUT) is NOT the true story of Santa Claus, crafted from his interviews, but is in fact a satire inspired by his research into the so-called "parents' rights" movement to keep gay issues out of the classroom. file://localhost/(http/::blogs.villagevoice.com:runninscared:2009:12:qa_with_jeffrey.php)

THE SANTA CLOSET ran Off Broadway on Theatre Row at the Kirk Theatre in 2009 and at the Diversionary in San Diego in 2010 in a performance that garnered a Scenie Award for Best Male Solo Performance from StateSceneLa. This production was originally produced in New York by Diverse City Theater, Penguin Rep and Shotgun Productions. Directed by Joe Brancato, Sound design by Jill Du Boff, original music by Andrew Ingkavet and Jason Webb, Projections designed by David Derr.

JEFFREY SOLOMON's other solo play Mother/SON has been seen at HERE Art Center (NY), Celebration Theatre (L.A.), and he received a Joseph Jefferson Nomination for Best Actor for the same performance in Chicago at the Bailiwick Rep. Internationally, Mother/SON has been seen on London's Off West End at the New End and Oval House Theatres, and his performance won the Best Actor Award in Dublin's Absolut Gay Theatre Festival as well as the Awards for Audience Favorite, Best Playwriting and Best Male Solo Performer at the Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival. THE SANTA CLOSET won the Best of the Fest at the same festival. Jeffrey Solomon's original teleplay for "CityKids" (ABC/Jim Henson Productions) received an Emmy Nomination for Best Children's Special as well as winning an Ollie Award for excellence in Children's Programming. Jeff is a competitive storytelling champion with the live storytelling organization The Moth, and was featured nationally on NPR's Moth Radio Hour.

Director JOE BRANCATO is the Artistic Director and founder of Penguin Rep Theatre. He directed Karoline Leach's Tryst (Outer Critic's Nominee, Best Play) starring Maxwell Caulfield at the Promenade Theatre; Lee Blessing's Cobb (Drama Desk winner) produced by Kevin Spacey and Melting Pot at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and co? produced by Mr. Spacey and Garry Marshall in Los Angeles; George Walker's Escape From Happiness starring Marsha Mason; The Big Swing (starring Madeline Kahn, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Marisa Tomei) and Dr. Valentine's Waltz (starring John Turturro, Laura Linney, Gina Gershon, Jane Alexander) at Naked Angels.

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