The Santaland Diaries

PRESENTED BY
AND

DECEMBER 7–22, 2018

Comedy—Theatre PG-13

For mature elves only.

La Crosse Community Theatre and Pump House Regional Arts Center present

THE SANTALAND DIARIES

By DAVID SEDARIS
Adapted by JOE MANTELLO

Starring

MICHAEL SCOTT

Originally Directed for LCT and the Pump House by

ANNE DRECKTRAH

Originally Costume Designed by Stage Managed by

IRINA CHRISTEL ALEX YEITER

Originally produced in New York
by David Stone and Amy Nederlander-Case on November 7, 1996

Special Acknowledgments

Thank you to all who made this production possible, including Theresa Smerud for photography.

Production and Design Staff

Original Director.........................Anne Drecktrah Stage Manager.................................. Alex Yeiter
Original Costume Designer............Irina Christel

Director’s Note

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving,
charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem
by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people as if they really were fellow
passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
—Charles Dickens

p. 2

Biographies

MICHAEL SCOTT I list my LCT roles IRINA CHRISTEL“The thing
in The Odd Couple (Felix) and Lend that’s great about being a costume
Me a Tenor (Max) among my most designer is you never know what’s
memorable and have appeared in going to be next; you never know
many other shows elsewhere, includ- what world you are going to enter”
ing Noises Off (Gary) at UW-La Crosse and The Merry –Coleen Atwood. The oddest job I ever had was back
Wives of Windsor (Master Ford) at the Fairbanks in Kazakhstan in the late 1980’s when I was working
Shakespeare Theatre. Aside from being a copywriter at the Regional Fashion House. The company sent me
and storyteller, I have also found work as a shepherd and one of my co-workers to the newest trend in Ka-
at a historic farm museum outside the Twin Cities. I zakhstan—the Pageant Competition. Our company
have also been employed as a mobile disc jockey, a was one of the sponsors for the event and made the
film projectionist, a substitute teacher (all subjects), dresses and swimsuits for the contestants. I made
a blacksmith, a movie theater usher, an errand runner most of the evening dresses and all of the swimsuits
when Jay Leno came to town, a walking tour guide, for the women. Our company wanted inside informa-
a Shakespearian actor in Alaska, and the Kwik Trip tion about what was going on backstage. So, my
Urge. I learned from all these jobs that any work is co-worker and I were nominated to participate in the
good work. I’d like to thank my wife for taking on the pageant. We were supplied with all of the clothing.
extra work at the home front. All we needed to do was learn how to dance (very
ANNE DRECKTRAH Probably the specific dances, required by the rules) and literally
oddest job I’ve had—though it “spy”on what participants deal with and what judges
seemed perfectly normal at the look for. Ideally, this insider’s view of the event would
time—was as a chaperone for“The help our fashion company get more business in the
Dating Game,”which some of you future. Of course the two of us weren’t very serious
may remember was produced by Chuck Barris and about winning. We did it just for the experience and
was immensely popular in its day. I was given airline information. What I learned from this odd job was
tickets, an itinerary, money to cover expenses, and you cannot fake excitement on command. If I was
sent places near and far with the couple who won interested in competing, I might have won first place!
the trip—mostly people you might not choose to ALEX YEITER The worst job I ever
spend much time with in real life. I looked at these had (and still have) schedules 7 hour
trips as a sort of location scout for where I’d like to shifts, 5 days a week. That doesn’t
return without strange traveling companions. How- sound too bad‘til you realize they
ever, on a trip to the Bahamas, the young woman’s expect you to work from home for an
mother broke the rules and joined us. The guy, the additional 2-4 hours every night. Actually, the worst
mom and I had a great time enjoying the food and part is they don’t even pay you! I should’ve moved to
experiences while the girl pouted in her room. On Denmark where you at least get paid…I’m so glad I’m
a trip to Busch Gardens, which was my last trip, I almost done with high school.
chaperoned two teenagers, one from New Jersey and
one from Los Angeles, who shared their experiences
growing up black in this country. Interesting people
are lurking everywhere.

p. 3

Never underestimate your opponent.

A woman who is blind turns the table
on a sinister con man and two

ex-convicts when they attempt to
hatch a plot against her.

JAN. 24–FEB. 10, 2019
Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

TICKETS $24–$28
Tickets available at LCT January 2, 2019.

608-784-9292 | www.lacrossecommunitytheatre.org
Weber Center for the Performing Arts, 428 Front Street South, La Crosse