Chicago Reader
December 15, 2011

The Eight: Reindeer Monologues

Jeff Goode's 1994 dark, witty comedy, about a scandal that erupts when Santa Claus is accused of sexual harassment, is hard to pull off. The eight performers in the show, all playing very human reindeer, have to deliver their monologues with just the right blend of realism and cartoonish exaggeration to make the humor fire on all eight cylinders. The current revival doesn't quite hit the right tone to make this material fly. Some of the monologues feel too dark and serious, others lack sass and energy. The idea of dividing them up among four directors may have saved time, but it gives the show an unfocused looseness that also makes the show more unsettling than funny. Only Manny Buckley stands out as the sharp, streetwise Comet. --Jack Helbig