The Traditional and the Not
By HOLLY WALL, Urban Tulsa Weekly, 12/20/2006
The North Pole Run Amuck. Not in the mood for something traditional this holiday season? Check out The Eight Reindeer Monologues at the Nightingale Theater. Pictured,Lynn Robertson as Vixen (well, her legs anyway) and, from left, Owen Froeschle as Hollywood, Jason Watts as Donner, John Cruncleton as Cupid and Joseph Gomez as Comet. Jeremy Charles/Urban Tulsa Weekly
Something Completely Different
If the traditional Christmas story isn't really your thing, you can be sure to count on the Midwestern Theatre Company and Nightingale Theater for something a little off kilter.
They opened Jeff Goode's The Eight Reindeer Monologues, a hilarious off-Broadway dark Christmas comedy. In it, one of Santa's eight reindeer, Vixen (Lynn Robertson) accuses Santa of sexual molestation. Each reindeer then proceeds to tell his or her side of the story--and more.
You know something's amuck at the North Pole when you walk into the Nightingale and the set is littered with beer and liquor bottles and cigarette butts, there's a whip hanging from the wreath and porn on the walls.
The show was a sell-out hit when Midwestern Theatre Company performed it in 2003, so the group decided to revive it this year.
"Everyone wanted to get away from the light pole-licking, nativity scene, sheep-braying, Nutcracker dancing holiday show," said Amber Whitlatch. "This show is right up our alley. It's got guts."
And plenty of them. The show opens with Dasher (Dale Sims), "the number one reindeer from day one," a little disgruntled, alluding to something very tragic that has happened to Rudolph and sets the stage for the other seven reindeer to (hopefully) explain what is going on in clearer terms.
Next up, Cupid (John Cruncleton, who also directs), overtly gay and slightly jealous of Santa's sexual escapades--he's apparently molested every reindeer except Cupid.
"Why is it that all pedophiles are homophobic?" Cupid wonders.
Hollywood (a.k.a. Prancer, played by Owen Froeschle), stopping now and then to do a line of coke or down a vodka martini, is upset that his career in the movies isn't going quite as he thinks it should.
Blitzen (one of my favorites, played by Sara Neely Cruncleton) is the feminist reindeer, who enters the stage carrying a sign that reads, "I'm no ho, ho, ho!" and wearing a "Think outside of my box" T-shirt.
She proceeds to explain the reality of Christmas, "A jolly fat pervert is coming to town, who knows when you're sleeping, when you're awake and how to get into your house."
Comet (my other favorite, Joseph Gomez) is the reindeer who refuses to believe Vixen's accusations of rape. According to Comet, the reindeer should be nothing but grateful to Santa for rescuing them from hard times and giving them purpose.
"Rudolph was just a poor, deformed, retarded reindeer buck, and St. Nick turned him into somebody," Comet reasoned. His explanation? The other seven reindeer are ruining Santa's name to serve their own political agenda.
"Back in the '50s, if someone said she had been raped by St. Nick, no one would have believed her. No one would have listened to her. She would have been brought up on charges."
Dancer (Kaycee Johnson) is trying to deny Vixen's accusations, but, at the end of her testimonial, admits Santa did the same thing to her, too. She's trying to put it behind her, though, while plotting her way to the front of the reindeer line.
Donner (Jason Watts) is a washed-up reindeer with lopsided antlers who also happens to be Rudolph's father. He expresses remorse for his son's "condition," which he feels he partly caused when he allowed Rudolph to work with Santa and guilt for having gone to work for Santa himself, despite what he did to Rudolph.
And then, finally, the woman of the hour, Vixen.
"Am I telling the truth, or am I just a Vixen? Did I seduce Santa?" The answers to these questions don't come easy, and as humorous as the play it's also an ironic social commentary. When Vixen finally decides she won't press charges and Christmas will go on as usual (her gift to us), although you feel sorry for Vixen, you have to admit there is some relief there.
I mean, Heaven forbid Santa's indiscretions (or our own) inconvenience us, right? After all, "Everybody's waitin' for the man with the bag, 'Cause Christmas is comin' again."
Oh, and Rudolph? Well, I guess you'll have to find out what caused his catatonic shock yourself. See The Eight Reindeer Monologues Thurs., Dec. 21 through Sat., Dec. 23 at 8pm at the Nightingale Theater, 1416 E. 4th St. Tickets are $8.