Santaland Diaries: Sure Cure for Holiday Blues at RepStage

NOTE: This is a re-post of the review of the same production done last year, with minor changes in content.

◊◊◊◊◊ out of five.  Adult content, language.  Not recommended for children.

Well, here we are, the very end of 2007!And what a year it has been for Baltimore/DC theatre!And what an absolute pleasure it is to end the year with one of the best plays and best performances of the entire year!That is exactly what you get when you see The Santaland Diaries presented by RepStage at Wilde Lake Village Center in Columbia, MD, starring Bruce Nelson.

Based on a bit that aired on NPR, and later turned into an essay in a book by David Sedaris, and now transformed into a one-man show, Diaries is a sharp, biting, nasty little account – an expose, if you will – of the Macy's department store elf, who assists Santa in New York.RepStage has wisely advised that this is a grown-ups only affair.The language is, well, salty, and the ideas are clearly skewed toward those of us caught in the rush to get everything done before the malls close on Christmas Eve.

Here we have the story of Crumpet the embittered, very realistic elf from the application to the final photo with Santa.Sedaris covers it all – the interview, the training, the um, vivid depiction of each area of Santaland at Macy's flagship store, the other elves (Snowball, Jingle, Nutmeg, etc.), and even the various Santas (Santa Joe, Santa Carl, etc.)Part of what makes this play so special is that in spite of its sarcastic, scathing tone, there is an underlying current of respect, awe and wonder at the season.A couple of times the play even allows a genuinely touching moment to happen.And my favorite moment of the entire year as an audience member: when we are all, as one, laughing to the point of tears at the customers and their demands, and then a very brief moment of complete silence as we, again as one, realize we are laughing at a very ugly side of ourselves.That, folks, is the power of live theatre.

Of course, a one-man shows success or failure is clearly on the shoulders of the one man in the show.And RepStage could do no better in that department than it has with the incomparable Bruce Nelson as Crumpet.His is a tour-de-force performance, equal parts charm, decadent sarcasm, and a been-there-done-that air.It would be very easy for an actor to get swept up in this and indulge in a little scenery chewing or self-congratulatory moments.Fortunately, Nelson never once comes close to any of that.And the performance is so fresh – you would swear he has never done it before an audience before that very night.His delivery is priceless, beginning with the dishy way he lures us all in – think Desperate Housewives sitting around a table sipping hot cocoa.And as he transforms, literally and figuratively into Crumpet, he is mesmerizing as he zips around the large space, conjuring up a complete image with the smallest of gesture or the slightest change in tone of voice.Nelson also clearly loves his audience, as he includes us all, either by design of the script (leading us in cheering sections, directly addressing one audience member) or by design of his performance (he literally seems to make contact with each individual audience member) or by design of circumstance (don't be late or leave mid show to use the bathroom!).The effect is both communal – we are all in this together – and singular – you'd swear he was doing the show just for you.

Some of the credit is also due to Michael Stebbins, the director, who has smartly reined in his actor so as to not over do.And his staging is interesting and fun.As the show goes on, both the actor and the space are transformed into elf and Santaland.The end scene, where we all finally get to Santa's door – complete with falling snow and twinkling lights – is both hysterically funny and touching.Somehow, all of the hassle and arguing and flared tempers were worth it after all.

Finally, The Santaland Diaries is such a completely well done show technically.The entire team has brought the concept of the reverse of the onion peeling away layers; here each element adds a layer until the complete picture is revealed simultaneously.Scenic designer Robert Marietta has created minimally invasive, yet completely joyous decorations that serve as memory placeholders of sorts for the audience, as Mr. Nelson vividly describes each and every area.Similarly, Andrea Moore's very specific props function much like the scenery, and with the same sense of style and humor as the script.Jennifer Rade's costume design speaks for itself in the photo that accompanies this review.And one of her best tricks I won't divulge – you gotta see it to believe it!Lastly, Judith Daitsman and Ann Warren's lighting and sound designs, respectively, are like the perfectly chosen wrapping paper for a gift.Both add color and nuance to the proceedings, and again, like the rest of the team, use their elements to help all of us keep track of what is going on.

Often, I have heard my colleagues poo poo the whole "holiday show" offering as a cheesy way to make money off of sentiment.Oddly enough, The Santaland Diaries is about that very thing.Well, this production is way more than a "holiday show".It is a complete package – a rare thing, indeed, when all of the elements come together so beautifully.Crumpet would probably kick my butt for such sentiment!

PHOTOS: Courtesy of RepStage.  Brice Nelson as Crumpet in The Santaland Diaries.

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