Free Reading of "Holidays on Ice" Tonight at Holmdel Theatre Company

Fans of NPR will recognize "Holidays on Ice," as the collection of holiday-themed fictional stories and personal essays written by best-selling humorist David Sedaris.  Directed by Tom Frascatore, selected essays will be presented this evening at the Duncan Smith Theater, 36 Crawfords Corner Road at 7:00 p.m.

"Sedaris's unique literary voice combines wicked, sometimes dark, humor and laser focused social satire in a way few writers today can match," said Frascatore.  

Skewering the annual holiday missive, "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" is a chipper suburban Christmas letter that spirals dizzily out of control, and "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol," is a vicious theatrical review of children's Christmas pageants.

"His pantheon of clueless characters are so recognizable and at the same time absurd, that you cannot help but laugh (and feel a little guilty doing so)," he said.

The most amazing discovery about this writer's work, says Frascatore, is that it actually gets funnier when read aloud, "especially by talented character actors like Geoff, Cody, Dave, Eric, and Casey."

So if you've already had enough yuletide treacle, "Holidays on Ice" will offer a bracing corrective, and die-hard Sedaris fans won't want to miss it.  

Cast:

Cody Dalton, Eric McDonough, Dave Murray, Casey Okamoto, and Geoff Shields.

Admission is free. Adult-themed humor. Not suitable for children.  Coffee will be served.

Holmdel Theatre Company's Play Reading Series is a forum where new works are given their first voice and established works are performed just for fun or sampled for possible inclusion in future seasons as main stage productions, according to its website. Evenings consist of a play reading performance followed by a lively audience discussion. Admission is free.  For more information visit holmdeltheatrecompany.org.