Small-town traditions are upheld in the 16th Annual O-KKK Christmas Yard Display. The contest is terrorized by a "Christmas phantom," later revealed to be two senior citizens who attempt to kill birds with slingshots in their spare time.
A man is abducted by aliens at the holiday request of his wife, DiDi, who sells used weapons under the slogan "If we can't kill it, it's immortal."
Clearly, this is not "A Christmas Story" but rather a deranged combination of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and "Hee Haw."
The play is driven by sarcastic banter and absurd situations but at times discloses a tender underbelly. Most of the characters are depressed, angry or completely insane. When juxtaposed with holiday merriment, the contrast evokes pity and guilt -- but not enough to stifle the laughter.
Although the actors did a superb job, with each playing about a dozen roles, some of the characters didn't quite fit. Their presence served to capture laughs rather than to develop ideas or meaning.
For example, Petey Fisk -- the devoted head of the town's humane society -- had no real purpose in the play except to speak with a lisp and to be attacked by a variety of animals. He may have earned a few cheap chuckles, but in the end, his character caused the production's overall authenticity to suffer.
The play did not attempt to exist in its own reality, as the fourth wall was broken twice in the second act. Two busty waitresses found seats in the crowd for a short time, and one of Iron's characters purposefully fell off the stage in a somewhat desperate attempt at humor.
Dialect created a problem for both the actors and the audience. Twenty-four characters with nearly identical Texas twangs were not only hard to distinguish but impossible to understand. Although the speech patterns may have been true to life, many a punch line was wasted in yammering nonsense. Subtitles would have been helpful.
Despite the instances of reaching for humor, cruelly drawn out scenes (the play was nearly three hours long) and questionable points being made, the play was enjoyable for what it was -- the wacky story of an inbred Christmas.
If you missed the free showings at Playmakers, don't despair. The production is put on at locations across the country.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
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