Gwyn McAllister, a resident of New York and Martha’s Vineyard, may be best known on the Vineyard as a frequent contributor to The Martha’s Vineyard Times. However, on the island of Manhattan, McAllister is also making a name for herself, most recently with an off-off-Broadway production of her show “Santacide.” The play is described as “an evening of short plays skewering Christmas. It’s an antidote to holiday cheer.”
The show opened at the 50-seat Under St. Marks Theater on Dec. 2, and ran for three nights before taking a break until Dec. 17, when there will be three more performances. On the evening of Monday, Dec. 18, the show will be livestreamed, so that it can be enjoyed by audiences near and far.
“This marks my NYC theater debut,” says McAllister. “It’s a dream come true.” The show is a co-production of the playwright (along with her friend Victoria Narayan, who is credited as producer) and Frigid New York, the organization that owns and operates the theater.
Erez Ziv, founder and managing director of Frigid New York, read the scripts back in early October, and agreed to co-produce the show. According to its website, “Frigid New York’s mission is to provide both emerging and established artists the opportunity to create and produce original work and to amplify their diverse voices.” Frigid produces the annual Frigid Festival, a winter fringe festival that is now the only fringe festival in NYC.
“The show is a series of irreverent, darkly humorous plays about the many ways that Christmas can go wrong,” says McAllister. “The locations range from Bethlehem to White Plains, N.Y., and, of course, Santa meets an unfortunate end in the title play.”
The playwright adds that the show is definitely not for children, or for those averse to profanity or suggestions of violence.
As director, McAllister recruited her friend Amy Wright, whom she knows from their shared involvement in New York’s famed Actors’ Studio. Wright made her mark on Broadway appearing in Lanford Wilson’s “Fifth of July,” and in “Noises Off” (Drama Desk Award for ensemble). Her film credits include “The Deer Hunter,” “Breaking Away,” Woody Allen’s “Stardust Memories,” “The Accidental Tourist,” and “Miss Firecracker,” among many others. More recently Wright has turned to directing.
“I am so fortunate to have a director of this stature involved in my project,” says McAllister. “The cast [of eight] are all really talented young actors, and I’ve been very impressed with their comedic chops. We’re all having a lot of fun with this show.”
Vineyard-based writer and actor Niki Patton, who saw the show in person, says, “I loved ‘Santacide.’ Gwyn’s known dry wit shines through five short stories about Santa — each one with a comic twist that’s much appreciated in our odd year of 2023.”
Patton adds, “You’ll likely pick your own choice for ‘best story’ (I don’t want to give away plots here — the surprises are worth it), but my own favorite hysterically answers that age-old question, ‘Where did your presents under the tree REALLY come from?’ I would love to see that on SNL for the holidays. Kudos to Ms. McAllister. Write on!”
Tickets for the livestream version of “Santacide” on Dec. 18 at 7 pm can be purchased at frigid.nyc/events?s=santacide&venue=&event_type=&season=. The theater offers a pay-what-you-will-option (click on sliding scale after choosing a date).
