The Santaland Diaries Returns to Portland Center Stage

The third annual production of The Santaland Diaries is set to return to Portland Center Stage's Ellyn Bye Studio with a new Crumpet the Elf in tow, actor Jim Lichtscheidl.

The Santaland Diaries previews on Tuesday, November 29, opens on Friday, December 2 and runs Tuesday through Sunday through December 31, 2011. Tickets start at $31, with tickets for those under 30 at $25 (ID required) and student discounts also available.
Rush tickets are $20.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays and on December 20, 21, 23, 27 and 28. There are also 10 p.m. late-night performances on December 8, 15 and 30. Christmas Eve (December 24) has both a noon and a 5 p.m. performance; there are no performances on Christmas Day.

See the show calendar at www.pcs.org/santaland-2011 for the complete performance schedule.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.pcs.org, by phone at 503.445.3700 or by
visiting the box office located at 128 NW Eleventh Avenue.

Based on the true chronicles of writer and commentator David Sedaris' experience working as a Christmas elf named "Crumpet" in a Macy's department store in New York City, this cult "anti-holiday" classic riffs on a few of Sedaris' truly odd encounters with his fellow man during the height of the holiday crunch. The Santaland Diaries launched the career of David Sedaris when his performance of the piece was aired on National Public Radio's Morning Edition a few days before Christmas in 1992. Later adapted by Joe Mantello into a one man show, The Santaland Diaries enjoyed success as part of PCS' 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010 seasons.

A native of Minneapolis, Jim Lichtscheidl has appeared in more than 25 productions at The Guthrie Theater. He played Billygoat in the original cast of Tony Kushner's Tiny Kushner, which enjoyed world premieres at both Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The Guthrie Theater as well as a run at London's Tricycle Theatre. Jim was most recently seen as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew at
the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and also appeared in the 2009 film A Serious Man. His multimedia comic piece Knock! received numerous awards including the 2006 Ivey Award, City Pages' "Best Comedy" and StarTribune's "Best Experimental Work." He currently resides in Minneapolis. One of America's pre-eminent humor writers, David Sedaris is the author of the bestsellers When You Are
Engulfed in Flames, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Barrel and Holidays on Ice, among others. He also contributes to The New Yorker and National Public Radio's This American Life. David and his sister, actress Amy Sedaris, have written several plays which have been produced at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Lincoln Center and The Drama Department in New York. In 2001, David Sedaris became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and was named by "Humorist of the Year" by Time magazine.

Director Wendy Knox returns to Portland Center Stage for this year's production. Also returning for The Santaland Diaries are Scenic and Costume Designer Jessica Ford, Lighting Designer Don Crossley and Sound Designer Sarah Pickett.

Additional support for this production has been provided by RDH Building Sciences, Inc. and 10th Avenue Athletic Club. Portland Center Stage's 2011/12 season is funded in part by Umpqua Private Bank, our lead corporate champion; the Regional Arts & Culture Council and Work for Art; the Oregon Arts Commission; the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; Helen and Jerry Stern; and Tim & Mary Boyle. The Mark Spencer Hotel is the official hotel partner of Portland Center Stage.

PORTLAND CENTER STAGE inspires our community by bringing stories to life in unexpected ways. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, PCS became an independent theater in 1994 and has been under the leadership of Artistic Director Chris Coleman since May 2000. The company presents a blend of classic, contemporary and original productions in a conscious effort to appeal to the eclectic palate of theatergoers in Portland. PCS also offers a variety of education and outreach programs for curious minds from six to 106, including discussions, classes, workshops and partnerships with organizations throughout the
Portland metro area.

THE GERDING THEATER AT THE ARMORY houses a 599-seat Main Stage and the 200-seat black box Ellyn Bye Studio. It was the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue, to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification. The Gerding Theater at the Armory opened to the public on Oct. 1, 2006. The capital campaign to fund the renovation of this hub for community artistic activity continues.

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