Santaland Diaries Brings Much Needed Holiday Humor to Oddfellows

For the second consecutive holiday season, the Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris’ hilarious extremely wry examination of the commercialization of Christmas, was a big hit at Oddfellows Playhouse. The show, presented as a one-man monologue, ran this past weekend in front of large crowds from Thursday to Saturday night.

The Santaland Diaries was a departure from traditional Oddfellows productions in both its production and content. The show was not student-performed and was for mature audiences of 13 or older. A short story of biting vignettes told by a man named David who takes the jump of a Macy Store’s elf in the month leading up to Christmas, the Santaland Diaries featured a significant amount of vulgar content. To be far, all of it was earned.

“The idea behind performing the Santaland Diaries, besides raising funds for our future productions next year, was that it gave us the chance to put on something relevant for the holidays, as well as edgier than our regular material,” said Oddfellows executive director Matt Pugliese. “The show was a great way to give people something to see that’s fun and a break from the business of the holidays that also has a lot of artistic merit.”

The Santaland Diaries featured a multitude of acerbic comic material. The writing captured the absurdity of working as an elf and of the crass commercialization of Christmas. There were gut-busting vignettes one after another, including Crumpet’s descriptions of his ghastly elf uniform (which came with Lombardi changing into the uniform) and having been forced to recite Christmas carols by a belligerent Santa. Even if the audience may not have had a holiday experience unique as working as an elf at Macy’s, they could appreciate the frustrations Crumpet expressed when he discussed being forced to be cheery every minute of the day or gleefully related parent’s screaming at their children as they waited in line to see Santa. Everyone reveled in the show’s send-up of modernized Christmas and its disregard for sentiment. In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it was an opportunity for the audience to remember to not take it all so seriously.

In the role of Macy’s elf Crumpet was Michael Lombardi, a Hamden resident and member of the Greater Middletown Chorale. From the moment he started speaking no one could take their eyes of the star. The animated and wide-eyed Lombardi alternately stalked the stage and sat in a chair as he vividly made Crumpet’s one of a kind tales come to life. By capturing both the show’s sarcasm and hints of sincerity, Lombardi emboldened the Santaland Diaries with the performance it needed to succeed.

The show received significant volunteer support. Hamden high school students Beech Copeland and Bailey Gould, who participate in the Oddfellows Technical Theater Program, operated the sound and lightboard for the show. Tate Burmeister, a professional theatrical lighting designer, also volunteered his services. Finally, local resident Tony Palmeiri, who played the role of Crumpet in last year’s production of the Santaland Diaries, directed the production this year.

“I could not have been more pleased with how the show went,” said Palmeiri. The audience seemed to really enjoy it. I was looking to deliver a fun, sarcastic edge, and it delivered exactly what I was looking for.”

Feelin' Grinchy?

Then Oddfellows Playhouse has just the thing to spruce up your wilting holiday feelings.

Just days after record Black Friday sales, during a time of year that is hyper-focused on consumer spending as the barometer of global economic recovery, Oddfellows Playhouse brings to the stage author David Sedaris’ satirical, biting examination of our holiday shopping culture, Santaland Diaries. Adapted for the stage by playwright Joe Mantello, “Santaland Diaries” launched the career of writer and commentator David Sedaris. The play recounts Sedaris’ days as a Christmas elf at Macy’s department store in New York City.

The show is a fundraising event for Oddfellows Playhouse – a youth theater the provides programming and productions by and for young people. The many theater artists involved are donating their time and energy to put the show together to raise money to provide scholarships and cover operating costs. This is a show for mature elves only (13 & up!)

“Santaland Diaries is a natural fit for Oddfellows Playhouse. Over the last 38 years, the theater has had a history of doing contemporary, satirical shows that examine our society. That is exactly what Sedaris’ work is doing. We’re excited to work with Tony and the same talented group of artists to put this show together to benefit Oddfellows Playhouse,” said Pugliese. “We serve over 1,200 students a year and with over 40% percent of our students receiving financial aid, the support we get from stage events like this really helps us keep our doors open,” he said.

The production is directed by Tony Palmieri, who owns and operates Datura – A Modern Garden, a wedding and event floral studio. Palmieri played the role of Crumpet last December at the Playhouse. On directing this year instead of performing, Palmieri said, “When I first sat down with Oddfellows earlier this year to discuss working on the role, I had some reservations about reprising the role. I thought it would be more interesting as an artist and for the audience to see another actor’s interpretation.” This year in the role of Crumpet is actor Michael Lombardi of Hamden, CT.

“Santaland Diaries” by David Sedaris
Adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
Thursday December 15
Friday December 16
Saturday December 17
All performances at 7:30pm
Adults $25 Students & Seniors $15

Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (860) 347-6143 or online here.

Holiday Offerings on Stage at Oddfellows

Well have you been naughty or nice this year? Oddfellows Playhouse has something for you in either case.

For those that have been Nice: Oddfellows Playhouse’s Junior Repertory Company presents Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story, adapted by Jerry Montoya from the story by Charles Dickens.

The story is one we all know, Ebenezer Scrooge and the eerie visits of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. However, Montoya’s adaptation quickly dispenses with the merriment, because “after all this is a ghost story.” The trimmings and trappings that have become synonymous with the Dickens’ tale are stripped down to a darker, more theatrical telling of the story.

Director Lorra Webb sets the tale in an orphanage on Christmas Eve. The children act out the tale on their dreary Christmas Eve, and explore their own Christmas past, present, and the Christmases yet to come. Taking a cue from the traditional Victorian practice of telling ghost stories at Christmastime, the young actors tell the story of Scrooge, Marley and the Cratchits.

Performance Dates: December 8-10
All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for Adults and $8 for Students/Seniors and are available online here or by calling 860-347-6143.

The production is made possible by major support from CT State Department of Education, CT Commission on Culture & Tourism, Middlesex United Way, The Stare Fund, Pratt & Whitney, with special support and sponsorship from the Middletown Commission on the Arts.

And for those that have been Naughty:

Oddfellows Playhouse brings to the stage author David Sedaris’ satirical, biting examination of our holiday shopping culture, Santaland Diaries. Adapted for the stage by playwright Joe Mantello, “Santaland Diaries” launched the career of writer and commentator David Sedaris. The play recounts Sedaris’ days as a Christmas elf at Macy’s department store in New York City.

The show is a fundraising event for Oddfellows Playhouse – the youth theater provides programming and productions by and for young people. The many theater artists involved are donating their time and energy to put the show together. “We have been venturing into the world of “grown-up” theater more and more over the last several years as a way to raise money for the Playhouse, our scholarship funds and operating costs. We have this great theater space available and we want to maximize our exposure to audiences”, said Executive Director Matthew Pugliese.

Tickets are $25 for Adults and $10 for Students/Seniors and available online here or by calling 860-347-6143.

Oddfellows Playhouse’s production is directed by Tony Palmieri, who owns and operates Datura – A Modern Garden, a wedding and event floral studio. Palmieri played the role of Crumpet last December at the Playhouse. On directing this year instead of performing, Palmieri said, “When I first sat down with Oddfellows earlier this year to discuss working on the role, I had some reservations about reprising the role. I thought it would be more interesting as an artist and for the audience to see another actor’s interpretation.”

Santaland Diaries is appropriate for mature elves only. Performances are December 15-17 at 7:30pm.

Holidays Make You Feel Like This?

If this is how your days have been going recently, then make a point to see SantaLand Diaries at Oddfellows Playhouse December 16-19.

Performance Times:

Thursday December 16: 7:00pm

Friday December 17: 7:00pm

Saturday December 18: 7:00pm & 9:00pm

Sunday December 19: 2:00pm

“This is the perfect tonic for the snarky person in all of us, but it still reminds us that the holidays are not just about commercialism, gifts and commerce. It is about heart, respect and dignity – and it happens to be hilarious and a great comment on our shopping culture. We’re happy to give this holiday card to the community. There is a little bit of coarse language and we recommend it for teens and up,” said Jeffery Allen.

Oddfellows Playhouse’s production is directed by Jeffery Allen and stars local actor and businessman Tony Palmieri who owns and operates Datura - a Modern Garden, a wedding and event floral studio. He is a member of the Floating Theater Group, a consortium of playwrights and actors focused on developing original work.

“Because most of the professional services are being donated, this is really a fundraiser for Oddfellows,” said Matt Pugliese, Managing Director of Oddfellows Playhouse. “We serve 2,000 students a year and with 50 percent of our students receiving financial aid this fall, the support we get when we stage events like this really helps us keep our doors open,” he said.