"The Santaland Diaries": A Cynical Ode to Christmas

By Jana Pollack, New Rep Reviewer

David Sedaris' one-man play, “The Santaland Diaries,” conveys precisely what a Christmas play should. It makes hilarious fun of the ridiculous pressure that we put on ourselves to enjoy the "magic" of the holiday season, yet it ends with sincerity, affording a few brief moments in which that magic is truly felt.

The script, while very good, requires a talented comic to pull it off. Luckily, Gary Littman possesses just the right mixture of comic talent and regular guy-ness to make the his character believable, likable, and funny. On opening night, he seemed slightly nervous at the outset, but as he shed his street clothes for his elf costume, it was clear that he was easing into his comfort zone, and he was more and more fun to watch as the show went on.

The play follows the adventures of a man who is employed as a Christmas elf (elf name: Crumpet) in Macy's "Santaland." It is part self-deprecating humor, as he bemoans the fate of a thirty year old man who has not found a marketable skill, and part unabashed jokes at the expense of the people he meets in Santaland. The latter increases gradually as we approach Christmas day. The frenzy at Macy's - and Crumpet's actions toward the customers and his fellow Santaland employees - becomes more and more heated, culminating in a hilarious moment in which a customer tells Crumpet, "I'm gonna have you fired." With perfect timing, Crumpet shoots back, "I'm gonna have you killed."

This is just one example of many a not-completely-PC joke the play contains. At one point, when asked to tell a little boy that he will receive coal if he is not quiet in line while waiting for Santa, Crumpet takes it a few steps further, whispering menacingly to the child that Santa will sneak into his house and steal all his things if he doesn’t behave. Offered in a different style, much of the narrative could become crass and unappealing. But from the pen of Sedaris, and the mouth of Littman, it feels like an evening with a very funny friend.

The final vignette of the play starts off like the rest, as Crumpet begins describing yet another Santa he must work with who takes his job a bit too seriously. Ultimately, though, this last moment offers a contrast to the earlier parts of the evening, as this Santa provides each child with a real bit of happiness.

For me, this is the perfect Christmas blend: an admission of the craziness that surrounds the holidays (and a good many jokes at the holidays’ expense), coupled with recognition of the good feelings that this time of year can provide. Anyone who has gone Christmas shopping at any point in December will be able to relate to the cynicism expressed in “Santaland.” At the same, “The Santaland Diaries” will make you laugh, and it will also leave you with a good feeling about whatever celebrations you are taking part in this holiday season.