THE SANTALAND DIARIES Cast & Creative Team Overview Dec. 8 through Dec. 24, 2016 at Copaken Stage

About the Artists

Claybourne Elder (Crumpet the Elf). Comedian, writer and musician Claybourne Elder is a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominee best known for his performances in New York and on Broadway originating the roles of Buck in Bonnie and Clyde, Hollis in ’s Road Show, Michael-Victor in Venice, and Ollie in Tennessee Williams’ One Arm (Drama Desk Nomination Best Actor.) He was also seen in the NY revivals of Two by Two (starring Jason Alexander), as Joe Jr. in Allegro (Lucille Lortel Nomination Best Actor), as Eddie in Do I Hear A Waltz and the Soldier in Sunday in the Park with George starring , both at City Center. KC Rep audiences will recognize him for his performances in Santaland Diaries, as Joe in Angels in America Parts I and II directed by David Cromer, as George in Sunday in the Park…, as the Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince in Moises Kaufman’s production of Into the Woods. Regionally highlights include Curly in Oklahoma at Music Theatre of Wichita, George in the critically acclaimed Signature Theatre revival of Sunday in the Park…(Helen Hayes Award Best Musical), On television he played Pete O’Malley on The Carrie Diaries, Flatbush Luck and It Could Be Worse. Special thanks to his best friend and partner in crime Shanna Jones for 17 years of collaboration and adventure. To Steve Maihack for believing in me. @claybourneelder

Shanna Jones (Musical Elf) Shanna is returning to The Santaland Diaries for her fourth consecutive year at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. She is a singer songwriter who recently relocated to Kansas City from New York. Her past credits at the Rep include The Diary of Anne Frank, Sunday in the Park With George, Stillwater and Hair: Retrospection. Over the last six years, Shanna has written and performed music with her band in venues throughout New York City. She also starred in Undone, a one woman show produced in the East Village and directed by Clay Elder. Most recently she performed in the 12 hour war saga, Tug of War: Foreign Fire & Civil Strife at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Other regional credits include Les Miserables (Pioneer Theatre ); Romeo and Juliet (Utah Shakespearean Festival); and Saturday’s Voyeur (Salt Lake Acting Company). She is thrilled to be sharing the stage with her number one guy, Clay Elder and a special thanks goes out to Randi and Dan for all their love and support!! www.shannajonesmusic.com

Eric Rosen (Director) was the founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s About Face Theatre (AFT) from 1995 to 2008, and is a writer, director and producer. Original projects include Venice (KC Rep, Center Theatre Group-LA, Public Theater-NYC, “Best Musical of 2010”–TIME Magazine); Wedding Play (Steppenwolf/AFT, Jefferson nomination); Winesburg, Ohio (Steppenwolf/AFT-Jeff Award, Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre Company—Barrymore Award, KC Rep); Clay (AFT, Lookingglass Theatre-Chicago, Center Theatre Group, KC Rep, Lincoln Center/CT3-Drama Desk Nomination, Jeff Award); and Undone, Whitman and Dream Boy (Jeff Award, several productions across the country). In addition to Venice, other KC Rep directing credits include: Clay; Winesburg, Ohio; world premiere of A

Christmas Story, The Musical! (a hit musical on Broadway—three Tony nominations, including Best Musical); Cabaret; August: Osage County; The Whipping Man; ; Death of a Salesman; Romeo and Juliet; and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Additional directing credits include productions at Lincoln Center, Center Theatre Group, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Alliance, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Hartford Stage, 5th Avenue, Prince, Cincinnati, Melbourne (Australia) and workshops at Sundance, O’Neill, Playwrights Horizons, and the Public Theater. He has developed and produced over 40 world premieres, including Doug Wright’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning I am My Own Wife and work by Mary Zimmerman, Frank Galati, Stephen Flaherty, Moisés Kaufman, David Cale and The Civilians, among others. He holds a doctorate in performance studies from Northwestern University, has twice served as an NEA panelist, and serves on the Board of Directors of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization of non-profit theatres.

David Sedaris (Author and playwright) made his comic debut recounting his strange-but-true experiences of being a Macy’s elf clad in green tights, reading his The Santaland Diaries on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition”. Sedaris’ sardonic humor and incisive social critique have since made him one of NPR’s most popular and humorous commentators and a best-selling author in the United States and abroad. The great skill with which Sedaris slices through euphemisms and political correctness proves that he is a master of satire. Everywhere he goes David Sedaris delights his audience with his irreverent style and great humor. In addition to his commentaries on NPR, David Sedaris is the author of the best-sellers Barrel Fever and Naked. His collection of Christmas related stories is entitled Holiday on Ice. His book of essays Me Talk Pretty One Day was published in June 2000 and became an immediate best-seller. Sedaris is a regular contributor to “Esquire” magazine and his essays have also appeared in “The New Yorker,” “Allure,” and “Travel and Leisure.” His original radio pieces can often be heard on public radio’s “This American Life,” distributed nationally by WBEZ in Chicago, as well as BBC radio in London.

The design and production team includes Clint Ramos (Scenic Design), Jeffrey Keirsey (Sound Design), Margaret Spare (Lighting Design), and April Brewer (Production Stage Manager).

Performances begin Friday, December 8 and run through Saturday, December 24 at Copaken Stage. Appropriate for ages 16+. Tickets may be purchased at http://kcrep.org/show/the-santaland-diaries or by calling 816-235- 2700. For group ticket sales, please call 816-235-6122.

About Kansas City Repertory Theatre Kansas City Repertory Theatre, one of the nation's oldest and most respected regional theaters, is the center of a great theatre town. KC Rep produces theatrical excellence, creating and sharing stories at the center of our nation’s creative crossroads. KC Rep’s mission is to advance the art form while cultivating passionate audiences, artists, and advocates to invest in our region’s creative future. We build community by connecting people through productions and outreach that educate, entertain, challenge and inspire. Lauded by The Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine, Variety and The Toronto Sun, KC Rep produces mainstage plays and special events at Spencer Theatre, where it serves as the professional theatre in residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), and Copaken Stage located in downtown Kansas City. KC Rep employs more than 250 professional artists, technicians and administrators, and serves more than 100,000 patrons and 12,000 school children annually. Kansas City Repertory Theatre is led by Artistic Director Eric Rosen and Executive Director Angela Lee Gieras.

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Please direct all media inquiries to: Tammy Cunningham [email protected]. For further information, please visit our Web site at www.kcrep.org. For Tickets: 816.235.2700 or www.kcrep.org.

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