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PrintMike Pryor stars in his one-man show
The star of “The Santaland Diaries” discusses his one-man show that presents a more sarcastic side of Christmas.
Are you a proud curmudgeon who can never get into the holiday spirit? What is “Fa-la-la” all about, anyhow? Does your holiday address list include Ebenezer Scrooge’s name? And don’t even get started on all that endless shopping, gift wrapping and tree decorating. Bah humbug, we guess.
Sounds like you need a few laughs, and American Theatre Company has just the tonic: its one-man show, “The Santaland Diaries,” written by humorist David Sedaris and starring Mike Pryor as a working Santa’s elf at Macy’s. The show runs Dec. 4-12 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. But — ahem — just don’t bring the kids.
Pryor, in his third year in “Santaland” and 25th year onstage, has performed not only in Tulsa but also Texas, South Dakota, the West Coast and even Broadway (for one night) in “A Chorus Line.” He is also a regular performer with Tulsa Repertory Musicals.
Here are Pryor’s thoughts on how it feels to be Crumpet, a lonely elf, and all the holiday characters he encounters at work.
What do you have to do to prepare for the show?
Well, it’s a whole lot of words, so I spend about a month just going back and getting the script back in my head. Or should I say digging it back out of the nooks and crannies in my brain. … Then I’ll get together with Sabrina Darby, my stage manager, and Randy Whalen, my director, and we’ll run it. Each year it takes (or at least it should take) less time to get it back in shape and it’s easier to find my smarmy little elf self. I’m blessed to have such a discerning set of eyes (and memories) guiding me.
What is the hardest part about doing a one-man show?
The hardest thing is that there’s no one else giving you cues, the little signposts that keep you going through the evening. It’s completely your job to provide all the energy that’s coming from the stage. So, God forbid, if I forget where I am, there’s no one to help me get back on track. We’ve joked that Sabrina could come over the intercom as the voice of Macy’s. But thank goodness she hasn’t had to do that, even though I think she’s really itching to!
Does not having anyone onstage with whom to interact present challenges?
I feel like I have several people to interact with. First of all, the script gives me several characters that I get to play with creating and reacting to — the heinous woman in charge of costumes or the other elves and Santas. I’ve never counted how many different characters I do, but there’s plenty of us up there. And then the most important character is the audience. I’ve always seen this piece as being like a great cocktail party. The audience are all guests, and they just happen to be standing next to the funniest guy at the party telling these hilarious stories. And I get to play him and tell David Sedaris’ stories!
Do you have the freedom to give the character your own personal touch? Can you adlib some, or is it strictly by the script?
I make NO attempt to channel Sedaris — he’s unique. In my opinion, it would be theatrical suicide to try to do him. But his material is so funny and so perfectly written that it’s a blast delivering it in my own style, whatever that is. And because his material is so perfect — the rhythm, the word choices, just everything — I also believe it would border on sacrilege to ad lib, and it would be so apparent to the audience. And it would take me out of the world he has created.
Why do you think “The Santaland Diaries” is so appealing right now? Do you think it will go down in history with “A Christmas Carol” and “Miracle on 34th Street” for holiday entertainment?
I think “Santaland Diaries” is popular because it holds a mirror up to modern society during a time of year when we are at our best and at our worst. Crumpet (his character) observes the horrors we all observe and isn’t afraid to comment on them (and add some of his own). It’s also a time of year that most of our traditional entertainment is of a time long gone and slightly foreign to us. Charming and universal and heart-warming, yes, but very few of us walk around in velvet knickers or wool suits and fedoras. Only time will tell if future generations will use it as a cultural touchstone. I think it would be hysterical if “Santa has a tumor in his head the size of an olive” went down in history alongside “God bless us, every one!”
“The Santaland Diaries” will be performed at 8:15 p.m., Dec. 3-5 and 9-12, and at 2:15 p.m., Dec. 6. For more information, visit www.MyTicketOffice.com.
