A Sardonic Take on Christmas with "The Santland Diaries at Black Box Theatre

by Patricia Fox
(Houston,Tx)

You can find the jewel of the Knoxville arts community in a little black box. To be exact, you will find it in the Black Box Theatre, which is the performance section of the Actor’s Co-Op. Their coming attraction is a very different take on the Christmas season, “The Santaland Diaries” by David Sedaris.

Sedaris has crafted a blackly humorous tale of the horrors involved in seasonal work, in this case, a job as an elf in Macy’s department store during the holidays in a children’s attraction called Santaland, and is based on his personal experience. No one is spared in this satirical ode to the commercialized holiday, from the various Santa to the stressed out children and their often strange parents. Among the indignities an elf must endure is the choice of an elf name and having to be addressed that way on duty. (Sedaris chose “Crumpet.”) The costumes horrify most of the seasonal employees but at least one secretly wants to wear hers home.

“The Santaland Diaries” will run December 13-22 at the Black Box Theatre at 5213 Homberg Drive, with performances Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Saturdays at 2pm. Tickets are available through Knoxtix either online at www.knoxtix.com or by calling (865) 523-7521. You can also get season tickets by visiting the company website, found at http://www.actorscoop.net/ or by calling them at (865) 584-0990. This work is definitely for adults.

Season passes are a very attractive $50-$75 a year and individual events are $18 or $15 for students and those on fixed income. (Call for details.) Bargain hunters can see previews and Wednesday night performances at a steal with their “Pay as you wish” offer, with a $5 minimum. All performances are at 8PM with an additional performance at 2PM on Saturdays.

Black Box Theatre grew from the vision of Amy Hubbard, who brought a fresh approach to live theater in 1995 in collaboration with Biz Lyon and Michael Golebieskwi. In 1995, Amy Hubbard recognized the need for a fresh face on the Knoxville theatre scene. Along with local actors Biz Lyon and Michael Golebieskwi, she began with plays by Tennessee Williams, and then joined with Katie Norwood, Pam Hurley, and Mark Lamb to produce another show. She and Norwood incorporated in 1997 and became a 501 ©(3) nonprofit officially in 1999.

Hubbard continues to serve Black Box and the Knoxville community well as the Executive Artistic Director. The Actor’s Co-Op now provides theater training as well as community outreach, and the company mounts five main stage performances annually, as well as two children’s events, whimsically named the Whippersnapper Theater. Two special events are produced each year as well. This nonprofit welcomes contributors to support their works by either cash or in kind donations. Contact them at (865) 909-9300 or e-mail for more information at actorscoopinc@bellsouth.net .