INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Really bad Santa

It’s the holidays at TOTS and they’re serving up a hybrid of Jerry Springer folly and crude seasonal cheer. The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, written by the absurd and farce-driven Jeff Goode, is an unusual exposé of the secret lives of Santa’s reindeer. The action takes place in a North Pole pub. It’s the kind of joint where reindeer go to unwind and sing their woes about working for the man and his wife, Mrs. Claus. On this particular evening, a controversy fills the stories told by each of Santa’s four-legged flying labor force: a rape allegation involving Santa, Vixen and a now institutionally committed Rudolph. The show’s subjects, under the direction of Kevin Brown, present a raw and hilariously real performance. These actors work hard to personify reindeer and each of them displays a “class A” variety of jack-ass entertainment. But the script contains a disconcerting and ingrained flaw. At the play’s end, Vixen (Sara Reimen) gives her testimony about what happened on the day when Santa Claus raped her. Until that moment, the play boils with humor and well-executed sarcasm. But when Reimen delivers her monologue, the energy shifts to a depressingly realistic story about a true rape victim. This shift comes out of the blue and ruins much of the show’s value. The Eight: Reindeer Monologues continues through Dec. 20; 637-8085 for reservations.