The next installment of American Stage’s appealing “After Hours” production series is an alternative staple of the season, The Santaland Diaries. This one-act, one-man play began as a drolly acidic radio essay about a grumpy, chemically dependent writer who’s forced to dress up as an elf to pay the bills during the Yuletide season. Nowadays, David Sedaris — the aforementioned grump — enjoys a lucrative career as a respected (Grammy-nominated) humorist, author and NPR contributor who doesn’t need to take odd jobs in order to make ends meet, though his true-life experiences working as Crumpet the Helper Elf at Macy's Santaland in NYC still provides plenty of fodder for laughs. From the motley crew of drunken Santas and actor elves to a parent demanding that her child be able to see a "traditional" St. Nick ("You know — a white one!"), Sedaris’ true-life tale is a must-see for those of us seeking a little salt to offset the syrupy Christmas cheer. But leave the kids at home — if you couldn’t already tell by the description, The Santaland Diaries is not suitable for young audiences. Dec. 2-28, 7 p.m. Tues. and Sun., 10:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat., 211 Third St. S., St. Petersburg, "pay-what-you-can" admission, with Santaland Diaries-themed alcoholic beverages added to the usual after-hours bar menu, 727-823-7529.
This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2008.