BWW Preview: SANTALAND DIARIES at KC Rep Copaken Stage

For adults with "Holiday Spirit Pressure - gauges" approaching red line, a pressure relief valve of laughs is in sight. Kansas City Repertory Theatre's fourth iteration of David Sedaris' "Santaland Diaries" at the Copaken Stage opens December 8th downtown.

"Santaland Diaries" is a very funny, slightly off center telling of a young actor's holiday job experience as one of "Santa's Elfs. Parents who have shepherded a child through Santaland" will identify. Anyone who has worked "holiday retail" will appreciate this Elf's eye view of the holiday season.

• "In order to become an elf I filled out ten pages' worth of forms, took a multiple choice personality test, underwent two interviews, and submitted urine for a drug test. The first interview was general, designed to eliminate the obvious sociopaths. During the second interview we were asked when we wanted to be elves..."

The 2016 KCRep production of "Santaland Diaries " is headlined by long-time friends Clay Elder and Shanna Jones with KCRep AD Eric Rosen directing. Both Elder and Jones are full time, nationally recognized, performers who hang their hats in Kansas City between tours and engagements. Clay and Shanna first met as freshmen at the University of Utah, bonded, and relish every opportunity to work together. Both are married to other people, but continue a close, long- term friendship.

Washington DC and Kansas City audiences know Elder as the painter Georges Serat in Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George." Broadway audiences know him for award-nominated turns as Ollie Olson in "One Arm" and for originating the role of Buck" in "Bonnie and Clyde."

Shanna Jones (www.shannajonesmusic.com) is well known for her outstanding work in KCRep's "Hair Retrospective," numerous other roles for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The New York Theatre Workshop, The Utah Shakespeare Festival, and as a New York Cabaret performer.

"Diaries" first lived as a comic essay by David Sedaris and performed by him on National Public Radio in 1992. It was reimagined for stage as a one man play in 1996 by Joe Mantello.

Following are a couple of dialog samples:

• "Today, a child told Santa Ken that he wanted his dead father back and a complete set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Everyone wants those Turtles."
• This afternoon, Santa Howard got an Asian child who wasn't familiar with the idea of leaving cookies. Santa asked what she was going to leave him to eat. And she got a puzzled look on her face. He said, "Something round to eat?" And she said, "A potato?"
• There was a line for Santa and a line for the women's bathroom. And one woman, after asking me 1,000 questions already, asked, which is the line for the women's bathroom? And I shouted that I thought it was the line with all the women in it.

Well, you get the idea. This elf is acerbic, occasionally profane, but always pressure relieving. "Santaland Diaries" is not a show for audiences under 16." Crumpet the Elf says all those things you wish you had been in a position to say. It is a show to see with a group of adult friends searching for a good belly laugh.

This special Kansas City production has evolved over a four-year development cycle. Originally, Elder and Jones kicked off the performance with a 30 minute holiday musical set, followed by the scripted monologue with Brian Sills as Crumpet the Elf.

Jones, Elder, and Director Rosen have integrated more music into the body of the piece. For 2016, Clay Elder plays Crumpet the Elf and Shanna Jones' character becomes more central to the show's design.

"This year kind of feels like arriving at the sort of thing we wanted to do all along," said Elder.

"Each year, there is great feedback about the music and we weave the suggestions together. The three of us sat down for a week in Eric's living room and we brainstormed," explained Jones.

"I want to build on Brian Mills' excellent performance," said Elder. "This is a new character portrayal. We looked for places in the script where interactions using two characters (Shana and Clay) are more useful than just having the Elf talking the story. And I paid special attention to the original David Sedaris short story in order to capture his kind of individual cadence."

Shanna Jones is enthusiastic. "Clay is one of my oldest friends. Any time we get to share the stage, it is such a wonderful, trusting relationship, it is just a blast to create in that atmosphere."

"Santaland Diaries" will be performed beginning December 8 through Christmas Eve. Tickets are available online at www.kcrep.org and by telephone at (816) 235-2700.

Photo by David Allison

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