The Orion
December 5, 2011

Chico Cabaret takes holiday classic, ups the rating, scandal

"The Eight: Reindeer Monologues" offers a behind-the-scenes look at what really goes down after Saint Nick parks his sleigh and is done with his crazy night of deliveries.

Brooke Hespeler

When most people hear the word "reindeer," eight very specific creatures come to mind. Nine, if you count the one with the messed-up nose of Christmas carols and claymation film fame.

But the international fame of being Santa's reindeer comes with a price. This past weekend, the Chico Cabaret opened its production of "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues," which follows an investigation into a scandal at the North Pole.

When Vixen brings harassment charges against "the fat boy," all of the reindeer are brought in for questioning regarding the allegations.

The investigation is being carefully watched and argued about by people all over the globe and no two reindeer stories are the same.

Was Saint Nick really a "walking, talking, holly-jolly sex crime waiting to happen," as Cupid alleges? Or was he truly a saint, as insisted upon by Comet, a reformed deer thanks to Santa's work with troubled deer?

The play is told in eight tragicomic parts, with each reindeer coming up to the stage when it is their turn for interrogation. Through each of the colorful characters' stories, the audience is led deeper and deeper into the scandal, culminating in Vixen's heartbreaking testimonial.

Completely unpredictable and unexpected, "The Eight" uses humor and shock to make a broader commentary on humanity.

The show is two parts dark comedy and one part social commentary.

The familiar furry faces of childhood are used to bring light to issues such as sex crime victim-blaming, misogyny and homophobia.

"It's one of the best examples of dark comedy I've found," said Jeff Dickenson, the show's director who also played the hotheaded lead reindeer, Dasher. "Though dark comedy isn't exactly new, it seems to be the best way to wake up our desensitized crowds much in the same way Greek tragedies worked thousands of years ago."

While many people capitalize on the marketability of Christmas cheer, playwright Jeff Goode uses it as a platform for uncomfortable truths.

It makes perfect sense, too. While the holiday season is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the time of year with the highest suicide rate. No other time of year holds such a pronounced dichotomy of feelings.

There are no frills to this show. The actors are plainly clothed with paper mache antlers and the stage is bare except for a single chair illuminated by a spotlight.

The language is precise. Goode knew exactly what the characters needed to say to get the reaction he wanted.

It's bare-bones theater - the actors, the director and the playwright had nothing to hide behind if one of these three elements was a weak link.

This gamble paid off, as there was no weak link in the production. The three elements blend seamlessly together to create a truly moving show.

Though the idea of North Pole shenanigans seems family-friendly enough, this show is not intended for children.

For the adult looking for a different way to ring in the holiday season, consider checking out "The Eight" at the Chico Cabaret this weekend. The show is only doing five performances and runs until Saturday.