KDHX Online (FM 88.1) - December 2004
You might call this one, “Eight Angry Reindeer.” Jeff Goode’s story of the sordid lives of Santa’s sleigh team reads like a satire of a soap opera, with some notably jagged forays into the creepy business of sexual harassment. My only problem with opening night’s performance was that half the reindeer didn’t fully grasp the satirical nature of the piece. The other half of the cast was excellent, though, and well worth the trip.
The Eight is part of that whole genre of plays (like Sordid Lives) that says good and evil are thoroughly mixed together and that the moral compass itself is spinning faster than the needle inside. Beyond the obvious similarity in themes, this makes it a good companion piece to The Santaland Diaries, playing across town, in Soulard.
You might also call it, “the red noses versus the blue noses,” if you can tolerate another election-year reference: The reindeer take sides, one by one, concerning Santa Claus’ alleged attack on Vixen, one of their own. And the red/blue distinction comes in handy, since this is a case of “family values” versus “human rights.” Both sides use the tragically mixed-up Rudolph as a pawn, in absentia. Both sides refer endlessly to him, and to Saint Nick, but most could stand to put more emotional weight behind their relationships to these two missing characters (Mrs. Claus, on the other hand, becomes quite the unforgettable figure).
Special mention for on-the-nose satire goes to Russell James (Cupid), Ember Hyde (Blitzen), JC Pierce (Comet) and Emily Strembicki (Dancer). Whether director Jerry McAdams purposely brought them more vividly to life, or whether they’re just funnier people, probably doesn’t matter. But James’ rip-roarin’ gay reindeer, Hyde’s rock-ribbed lesbian activist, Pierce’s biker-boy, and Strembicki’s wool-gathering ballerina are wonderful contributions to a very tricky show.
Certainly, there is promise in Pamela Banning’s “Hollywood,” (a movie star now that Prancer with Sam Elliot has come out). She’s on the right track when she throws down a script offered as a sequel to her first film, and has the beginnings of a “diva” voice. Bryan Hyde, as Dasher, the team leader, had just a bit of the necessary “rah-rah” half-time speech elements in place. Tyson Blanquart as Donner has many fine little moments of silent reaction to mention of his tragic, red-nosed son. Mr. Blanquart has the most dramatic speech to deliver, but (on opening night) lacked the overtly searing torment of a parent who’s betrayed his own son to a sexual predator (and maybe a toy “Rudolph” would add to the ironic humor of the piece—you can pick one up at the Hallmark store). Leah Schumacher presents her testimony as Santa’s rape victim with notable realism. But without the benefit of 100% full-bodied nut-cases to lay the ground-work before her, her story is never quite thrown into what should be appalling relief. If this show can get running on all eight cylinders, in just one weekend, Ms. Schumacher’s closing remarks will carry all the chill of winter.
If you can catch The Eight , before it closes late Saturday night, I will bet each portrayal will gain twists and turns. Another thing that would help tremendously would be a spotlight—expensive for Hydeware Theatre, but such instruments have reportedly been used previously at the venue (SPOT). A spotlight here would help isolate each confessional interlude. And they frequently have the effect of sharpening an actor’s mental and emotional images in their own heads and hearts. As it stands now, roughly half the monologues seemed as unvaried as the un-cued lighting overhead. One other point: if you are playing a piece like this to a bar crowd, you just might want to go out and rent a video of Peyton Place or The Valley Of The Dolls for good measure.
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues runs with two shows nightly: Friday (December 17th, 2004) at eight and ten, and Saturday (December 18th) at seven and ten. Performances are at “SPOT,” a bar at 4146 Manchester Avenue, between Kentucky Ave. and the post office. Congratulations to SPOT for bringing a cabaret stage to that burgeoning stretch of taverns on Manchester, just west of Vandeventer—it’s a classy addition to the neighborhood. Ticket information, (314) 368-7306 or (314) 534-1111.