Penobscot Bay Pilot
January 2, 2013
ROCKPORT -- Yes, yes, holiday burnout, everyone has it. But coming up this weekend is no ordinary play and you may miss out on the chance to hurt yourself laughing if you don't attend.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 4, 5 and 6, the Everyman Repertory Theatre will present The Eight: Reindeer Monologues at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport.
Here's the back story: Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa Claus' eight reindeer accuses Santa of sexual harassment. As mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team share their perspectives and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges, which seems to implicate everyone from the littlest elf to the tainted Saint himself.
With each deer's confession, the truth behind the shocking allegations becomes clearer and clearer...and murkier and murkier. This dark, dark, R-rated Christmas comedy is a "brilliant satire of gender and sexual politics in contemporary America, filled with penetrating humor," -- (L.A. Weekly), and "Wickedly Topical" -- (New York Times).
Here then, are five things to know about The Eight:
1: So, our understanding is..Santa is under a sexual harassment claim from one of the eight reindeer in which "a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges." Any salacious details you can give us about the accuser's motivation?
As Blitzen said, "Why would she throw her career away? A Prank? PMS? No. A reindeer has a right to her own body. When a doe says no, it means no."
2: Did you purposely time this play to run after the holidays so the smelling salts huffers wouldn't be offended? If not/so, what is your ideal audience for this play?
The play is typically performed before Christmas. Some companies do it every year. But, we felt that there was way too much going on before Christmas and then nothing at all afterwards. We're still well within the 12 days. This is definitely a show that is going to appeal to a much younger audience than typically attends our productions, as well as our normal patrons. In fact, David Troup, our director, has put the show together like a documentary about the incidents described in the play. We'll be showing dailies, outtakes, rushes from the film that he has put together specially for the show.
Dasher (Lou Carbonneau): Superhero
Cupid (Joseph Ritsch): Gay
Hollywood (David Greenham): Star
Blitzen (Jennifer Hodgson): Angry
Comet (David Troup): Saved
Dancer (Abigail Norman): Confused
Donner (Paul Hodgson): Sad
Vixen (Ashley St. Pierre): Resigned
4: Midcoast just doesn't get enough scathing comedy. We just had Mommie Queerest back in October, and now your The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Is this the first satire Everyman Repertory Theatre has done?
Not at all. Our November show in 2011 Ð Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage was a non-stop 85-minute descent from a civilized meeting between parents to discuss violence between two 8 year olds to drunken recriminations. It's one of the tightest and funniest shows we've ever done, littered with profanity and hilarious dialogue. We also did Reza's Art at the CMCA last August, "rife with juicy one-liners, knife-sharp comebacks," according to The New York Times.
5: What is it about your cast that gives this play its dark and hilarious je ne sais what?
This is a show that is usually played for laughs by a young set of actors in their early 20s, taking the reindeer as stock characters: biker lesbian girl, screaming queen, etc. While a couple of our cast members are in their 20s, the majority are seasoned professionals and we are all approaching our own reindeer and the show itself in a completely different way. David Troup also played Comet in the original New York production so he knows! Also we've been working in isolation, with Lou in New York, Joseph in Baltimore, David Greenham in Readfield, Ashley in Augusta -- all under David's guidance, but it's meant that we've brought very different elements to each portrayal. Hey, these are the eight most important reindeer in the world, their characters are big, and they're different! Some of them hate each other, some of them don't, but when Christmas Eve comes around, all differences are forgotten because it's the Fat Man's big night and those presents need to get under that tree. Well, all differences were forgotten until this Christmas Eve, when the Fat Man finally went too far.
Shows on Friday and Saturday are both at 7 p.m. with a 2:30 p.m. matinee Sunday. Tickets are available at HAVII and from the box office, 236-0173 and the website everymanrep.org/content/box-office.
To reach Kay Stephens, email news@PenBayPilot.com.