Erie Times-News
November 29, 2012

Goode time will be had by all at PACA

BY ERIN MCCARTY, Erie Times-News
Contributing writer

In 2000, Jeff Rodland made his directorial debut with "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues," Jeff Goode's darkly comedic one-act in which Santa's reindeer come clean about the dirty deeds occurring at the North Pole.

Now, he's combining that show with other Yuletide writings by Goode in "A Very Goode Christmas" at PACA, 1505 State St.

"I joked with my friends that (Goode) had written enough holiday material that we could put on a festival of his Christmas-related work," Rodland said. "I ran the idea past Jeff, and he loved it. In fact, he sent me some additional monologues and pieces that could fit into the festival."

All performances include "The Eight" and "A One-Minute Christmas Carol," in which three actors blaze through an ultra-abbreviated version of the Dickens classic.

The show's first and last evenings will also include "Santa Worship," a tongue-in-cheek monologue about a fundamentalist Christian who has converted to Santaism; "Dear Santa," a monologue in which a woman writes to Santa to request world peace; and "The Last Noel," a new work focusing on a post-apocalyptic Christmas celebration.

The middle evenings will include "The Un-Xmas Story," featuring a familiar-looking couple from two millennia ago.

"I go for that irreverent kind of humor, pushing an envelope, making a statement but also being funny," Rodland said. "It is offensive, but I like the rawness of taking something you know and taking it all the way. He does that. He says things that other people think but don't want to say. He says it through characters you know through children's specials, which kind of softens the blow but warps your perception of things."

The show will also intersperse some Christmas songs with the comedies because many of the performers in the large cast are talented singers. Rodland is eager to see the reaction of the audience, which will include Goode, whom he has not previously met despite their long-term correspondence.

"A lot of times when you're caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping and stuff, taking a break for a couple hours and coming and laughing your butt off can be a great relief," Rodland said. "For parents like me, that's a welcome thing. It's great making cookies with the kids, and it's also great having adult time. This is definitely a celebration of that."