Tallahassee Democrat - December 2, 2005


TLT sparkles in wickedly funny holiday productions
By Kati Schardl
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

If the saccharine sentiments and cutesy fake-snow-dusted decor of the Christmas season make you gag, Tallahassee Little Theatre has just the cup of spiked eggnog to cleanse your holiday palate.

In fact, the community theater offers two cups of cheer in rotating repertory as part of its Coffeehouse Series - David Sedaris' "Santaland Diaries" and Jeff Goode's "The Eight Reindeer Monologues." Both are directed by Krystof Kage, no stranger to a well-timed punch line as an actor in comedies for TLT, TheatreTCC!, Theatre A La Carte and Quincy Music Theatre.

Acerbic, irreverent and wickedly funny, the two shows were the perfect medicine to make a spoonful of seasonal sugar go down at Tuesday's preview.

The lobby was set up as a comedy club with round tables sporting festive centerpieces. Skewed Christmas carols played, and a tipsy, tarted-up Mrs. Claus greeted audience members.

I saw the previews through a feverish flu haze, and the performances made me laugh and wheeze (which made me sneeze) and almost forget how much my joints ached.

"Santaland" was America's introduction to Sedaris' peculiar, hilarious humor.

Sedaris' sardonic, piercing comments on the freakish behavior of holiday-addled humans have lost none of their wicked insight. Jimmy Kontos did full justice to Sedaris' humor, without sounding too much like the distinctive radio commentator/author. As Crumpet the disgruntled Santaland elf, Kontos walked the audience through the intricacies of elf training and the realities of serving in Santaland. His timing was impeccable, his gestures and facial expressions spot-on and his elf costume - designed by Roberta Brewer, aka Mrs. Claus - was to die for.

The other half of the repertory bill featured "The Eight Reindeer Monologues." It's a considerably more profane and bawdy effort in which the eight ruminants of Santa's team trash Kris Kringle, his missus and each other with relish. Each deer gets a chance to tell his or her tale as they address a scandal concerning St. Nick, Vixen and poor, traumatized Rudolph, now the resident of a padded stall.

Stalwart, beer-swilling Dasher (Ryan Burk) led the procession, followed by flamboyant, openly gay Cupid (a silk pajama-clad, martini-brandishing Andy Jorishie), spotlight-hogging Hollywood/Prancer (Zachary Price in a crushed-velvet bathrobe), ranting feminist Blitzen (Kendall Gibson), reformed Hell's Herd member and whole-hearted St. Nick supporter Comet (Melissa Perkins sporting a wicked sneer and perfect deadpan drawl), ditzy Dancer (Liz Torres), sad-sack Donner (Derrick Olson) and vampish Vixen (a scorching-good Vivian Booth).

They all distinguished their furry, salt-licking characters with good little bits of business. Price was particularly good as Hollywood, who railed against the "Claymation crap" and continuity issues of the beloved "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" movie that airs every Christmas season, all the while moving through tai-chi poses and sipping sake.

Perkins stood out as Comet, the reformed druggie, all-around delinquent deer saved from becoming roadkill by Santa.

Originally published December 2, 2005

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