FIFTH ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION
The Santaland Diaries
by David Sedaris
adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
directed by Meghann Williams
December 11-19, 2008
2nd Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street
Tickets: $15, $12 (Students & Seniors)
Box Office: 215-665-9720 or www.flashpointtheatre.org

Flashpoint celebrates its fifth anniversary season with its annual holiday production, The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris. This popular one-man show that cuts through the usual sticky-sweetness of Christmas and reveals a wonderland of fake snow, forced enthusiasm and vomiting children. Join Crumpet, a disgruntled elf in Macy’s Santaland, for a delightfully disturbing account of the most joyous time of year.

David Sedaris is a Grammy Award-nominated humorist, writer, comedian, bestselling author, and radio contributor. Sedaris was first publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "SantaLand Diaries." Since that time, his sardonic humor and incisive social critique have made him one of NPR’s most popular commentators. Sedaris published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994. Each of his five subsequent essay collections, Naked, Holidays on Ice, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames have become New York Times Best Sellers and [have collectively sold 7 million copies. David and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have written several plays, including the Obie award-winning One Woman Shoe, Incident at Cobbler’s Knob and The Book of Liz. Their plays have been produced at La Mama and at Lincoln Center in New York City. David is a regular contributor to Esquire magazine and his essays have also appeared in The New Yorker, Allure and Travel and Leisure.

Meghann Williams has directed The Santaland Diaries for Flashpoint every holiday season since 2004 and re-imagined the show in 2005 and 2006 to include Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Family. Williams, a founding member of Flashpoint Theatre Company, has directed The Faculty Room, The House of Yes, The Vagina Monologues for the company. She also served as Assistant Director for Karen Getz’s Disco Descending in the 2008 Live Arts Festival and Brat’s production of Fatboy for the 2007 Fringe Festival and will direct the final show of Flashpoint’s 5th anniversary season, The Little Dog Laughed.

Flashpoint founder Derick Loafmann will portray Crumpet for the fourth year. Derick recently appeared in The Last Night of Ballyhoo at Montgomery Theater, Neil Labute’s Bash in the 2008 Philly Fringe, Orson’s Shadow at Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Ballad of Joe Hill at the 2006 Philly Fringe and in Twelfth Night with Shakespeare in Clark Park. For Flashpoint, Derick appeared in Schoolgirl Figure and The House of Yes.

All performances will be held at 2nd Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street, in Philadelphia. Information about performance dates and times, as well as ticket prices can be found at www.flashpointtheatre.org. Tickets can be purchased online at Flashpoint's website, or reserved for purchase at the door by calling the box office at 215-665-9720.

Flashpoint Theatre Company is dedicated to expanding cultural arts awareness in the Greater Philadelphia area through the production of socially provocative and emotionally resonant works of theatre, through the development of educational programming within the community, and through collaboration with new and emerging voices from all artistic disciplines. Founded in 2003, Flashpoint’s first four seasons have included ten Philadelphia premieres and one world premiere, several readings of new plays as part of the High Voltage workshop series and numerous outreach events including artist talkbacks and special performances for Philadelphia high school students. Flashpoint is also an active participant in the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia’s SPARK program. Flashpoint’s 2008-09 season is sponsored by Zipcar, Whole Foods Market, Zinc Bistro and Fergie’s Pub.

Photos available upon request – erin@flashpointtheatre.org, 215-514-8965

JUST THE FACTS
WHAT: The Santaland Diaries, by David Sedaris, adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
WHEN: Thursday, December11 at 7:30 pm
Friday, December 12 at 8pm
Saturday, December 13 at 8pm
Sunday, December 14 at 2:30pm
Sunday, December 14 at 7:30pm
Thursday, December 18 at 7:30pm
Friday, December 19 at 8pm
WHERE: 2nd Stage at the Adrienne
2030 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA
TICKETS: $15 – Adults
$12 – Students and Seniors
$10 – Groups of ten or more
PHONE: 215-665-9720
WEBSITE: www.flashpointtheatre.org
THE CAST: Crumpet - Derick Loafmann