COEUR d'ALENE - If your Christmas list includes a play that strays from holiday norms, Lake City Playhouse has what you're looking for.

Beginning Dec. 6, LCPH will be presenting "The Santaland Diaries." It's the story of one man's journey through the Christmas season working as Crumpet the Elf in the massive Macy's Santaland in New York City. The lead role and only cast member is actor Doug Dawson of Spokane, who plays writer and humorist David Sedaris as he relates his experience as a Santaland insider. It's funny, sarcastic, and provides a realistic view on the chaos of the American Christmas.

"Anybody who has worked the holiday season who does not have one of those dream families when it comes to the holidays will laugh their booty off," said "Santaland" director Heath Bingman of Coeur d'Alene.

Although Dawson is the only one on stage, he slips in and out of the many personalities that his character encounters in the store, from ill-behaved children and their equally ill-behaved parents to soul-sapped Santas, sickeningly sweet elves and cranky clerks. The show does include adult humor and a bit of naughtiness, but it doesn't fail to touch on some of the more important and heartwarming themes of the holidays.

"It's quite an interesting statement on the commercialism of Christmas," Dawson said. "And I don't want to give it away, but the ending is very sweet."

Some renditions of "Santaland" portray Sedaris as monotone and somewhat dry in his delivery. Not so for Dawson's Sedaris. The characters are big, the delivery is expressive and Dawson pays close attention to the more than 20 pages of monologue.

"(Sedaris) spent time choosing each word in this, I'm almost sure of it," Dawson said. "I want to honor that as much as possible."

Audience members can look forward to some surprises as well. Bingman and Dawson's ideas for the show break the fourth wall and may even catch people off guard.

"It's so fun," Bingman said. "It's so different from what you get in a Christmas script."

"The Santaland Diaries," written by Sedaris and adapted by Joe Mantello, opens at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 and runs until Dec. 22. For complete show times and ticket information, visit www.lakecityplayhouse.org.