David Sedaris’ Irreverant THE SANTALAND DIARIES Skewers the Holidays at Human Race

David Sedaris’ Irreverant The Santaland Diaries Skewers the Holidays at The Human Race Theatre Company

Tim Lile stars as the disgruntled elf Crumpet in this one-man comedy for grownups only, December 10 – 19, 2015 at The Loft Theatre

Tim Lile as Crumpet. Photo by Scott J. Kimmins.

(Dayton, OH) — The Human Race Theatre Company shares its brand of off-kilter holiday cheer with one of today’s most popular—and most outlandish—Christmastime stage plays. Meet the quintessential elf-gone-bad as he relives a series of less-than-merry misadventures in David Sedaris’ hysterical antidote for holiday havoc, THE SANTALAND DIARIES. Spend some time with the irreverent Crumpet—one of Santa’s little helpers during the Macy’s Christmas shopping rush—as he handles the hordes of insufferable shoppers and their kiddies with whacked out, wicked wit. This one-man, one-act production on The Loft Theatre stage features the talents of two Human Race Resident Artists in its star, Tim Lile, and director, Scott Stoney. The preview performance of THE SANTALAND DIARIES is Thursday, December 10. Opening night is Friday, December 11. The 10-performance production runs through December 19 and is not recommended for children.

Miami Valley audiences will recognize comedic actor Tim Lile from his numerous performances in The Human Race productions, including A Tuna Christmas, Ears on a Beatle, Moonlight and Magnolias and Lend Me a Tenor. In addition to his work onstage, Tim is an accomplished director, helming productions of Lombardi, Rounding Third and Take Me Out at The Loft Theatre, and a widely-respected auctioneer and owner of the online auction company BidNow, LLC. Scott Stoney, a well-known local actor and director in his own right, takes on the task of guiding Sedaris’ sardonic tale of a department store elf after having recently helmed weighty subject matter in Crowns, Next to Normal, Torch Song Trilogy and Caroline, or Change for The Human Race.

David Sedaris originally wrote the essay THE SANTALAND DIARIES as a true account of his time spent working as an elf in “SantaLand” at Macy’s department store in New York. Sedaris gained national fame after reading the essay on National Public Radio in 1992, and published it in his collections Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice. In 1996, Tony Award ®-winning director Joe Mantello (Wicked, 9 to 5 and Other Desert Cities) adapted the story as a one-act, one-man stage play.

The creative team includes scenic designer Scott J. Kimmins (Family Shots, Under a Red Moon, Brother Wolf), costume designer Christie Peitzmeier (Mame, Play It by Heart, Becky’s New Car), resident lighting designer John Rensel (The Full Monty: The Broadway Musical, Crowns, Fiddler on the Roof) and sound designer Jay Brunner (The Full Monty: The Broadway Musical, Crowns, Taking Shakespeare). Kay Carver is the production stage manager.

Biographies on the cast and creative team can be found on The Human Race Theatre Company’s website.

The Human Race Theatre Company’s production of THE SANTALAND DIARIES is sponsored by 93.1 WYSO.

Performance and special event information

Tickets for all seats to THE SANTALAND DIARIES December 10 – 19 are $24. The production is not a part of The Human Race’s 2015-2016 Loft Season, but current Loft subscribers can purchase tickets for $18 by phone or in person.

Performances are at the Metropolitan Art Center’s Loft Theatre, located at 126 North Main Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Show times for THE SANTALAND DIARIES are 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday evenings. Performances on Saturdays are at 5:00 p.m. and at 9:00 p.m.

Tickets and performance information on THE SANTALAND DIARIES are available at www.humanracetheatre.org or by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630, and at the Schuster Center box office.

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The Human Race Theatre Company was founded in 1986 and moved into the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at the 212-seat Loft Theatre. In addition to the Eichelberger Loft Season, The Human Race produces a summer Festival of New Works and special event programming. Under the direction of President and Artistic Director Kevin Moore, the company also maintains education and outreach programs for children, teens and adults, as well as artist residencies in area schools, the Muse Machine In-School Tour, and a summer youth program. Human Race organizational support is provided by Culture Works, the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, the Shubert Foundation, the Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund, the Jesse & Caryl Philips Foundation, the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council, which helped fund this organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The 2015-2016 Sustainability Sponsors are the ELM Foundation, Anne F. Johnson and Steve and Lou Mason. The 2015-2016 Loft season sponsor is the Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of the Dayton Foundation, with additional support from Premier Health and Morris Home Furnishings.