Photo Flash: First Look at THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES at Chance Theater

Chance Theater presents its 13th annual production of the irreverent, raunchy and pitch-black dark holiday satire... The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Written by Jeff Goode, directed by Resident Artist Alex Bueno, and associate directed by Resident Artist James McHale. The Eight: Reindeer Monologues performs now through December 23 on the Fyda-Mar Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

WARNING!! This show contains FOUL-MOUTHED REINDEER and very inappropriate ADULT HUMOR! Definitely no kids or anyone who doesn't want to see the dark side of Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and the North Pole!

We just couldn't shut them up.... so for the 13th straight year, accusations, rumors and all-out attacks are (still) flying fast and furious around the toy shop. Hear the truth straight from the reindeer who know Santa best. It's not all fun and (reindeer) games at the North Pole. When a doe says "No" she means "No."

When Chance Theater first presented Jeff Goode's naughty little comedy in 2004, the staff had no idea that this little show about Santa's reindeer would be such a hit with Orange County audiences. "It was seriously insane," says director Alex Bueno, who played Blitzen in the first production, and has appeared many times since as various reindeer. "We had people lined up outside our theater just hoping more seats would open up. And the audiences who did get in to see the show were really ready to have a great time! They would talk to the actors onstage, answering questions that were meant to be rhetorical, giving the reindeer fist bumps and booing and cheering whenever they felt like it. The atmosphere was much more like a party than a theatrical performance. Almost immediately we started getting asked the question, 'So this is coming back again next year, right?'"

With each successive year, the popularity and fandom for the decidedly un-holiday show continued to grow. Audience members regularly show up wearing antlers, or with small gifts for the cast (including a "Reindeer Games Played Here" sign that traveled with the Chance when it moved into its new theater space). The Chance even tried to call it quits a few years ago, but incredible demand for the show brought it back.

Starting with the second production of The Eight in 2005, some of the reindeer were swapped out with other talent. Although many of the original cast has returned over the last 12 years (taking a year off now and then), it's the variety of characterizations that has also kept the production fresh for over a decade. Counting the original cast of eight, there have been over 65 actors who have appeared as reindeer at the Chance.

This year's cast of reindeer includes Resident Artists Casey Long (Seminar), James McHale (Dogfight), Karen O'Hanlon (Passion Play) and Jeff Hellebrand (The Eight: Reindeer Monologues), as well as returning artists Ben Green (A Chorus Line), Aaron McGee (The Legends of Sleepy Hollow), Miguel Cardenas (The Secret Garden - The Musical), Andrew Puente (Dogfight), Kelly Ehlert (Stinky Cheese Man), Sarah Moreau(The Eight: Reindeer Monologues) and Camryn Zelinger (A Chorus Line). Adam LeBowitz-Lockard, Katie Canavan, Lola Kelly, and Ahmed Brooks make their Chance debut with this production.

The production team for The Eight: Reindeer Monologues includes director Alex Bueno, associate director James McHale, production designer Masako Tobaru, Sound DesignerCasey Long, and stage manager Courtny Greenough.