David Sedaris once said, “what other people call dark and despairing, I call funny.” Mr. Sedaris brought his unique and particular brand of comedy to the Strathmore stage this past week, with his usual acerbic wit on display.
David Sedaris has embraced the old adage of “write what you know,” in that much of his writing consists of stories from his childhood and personal experiences. He first gained notoriety from his essay “Santaland Diaries,” which detailed his time working as an elf at Macy’s during their holiday season. The hilarious and relatable story made a splash and led to Sedaris becoming a regular contributor on NPR’s “This American Life,” and to his first collection of essays, “Barrel Fever,” in 1994.
…I now look forward to seeing more from this emerging writer, who has a great deal of promise.
Since then, he has become one of America’s most prolific writers, publishing 11 books and seemingly countless articles in the last 25 years. Some particular favorites of this reviewer are “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” an examination of speech and language, and “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim,” a comedic, yet sometimes melancholic deep-dive into Sedaris’ relationship with his family, both past and present.
In addition to the massive amount of writing that he produces, Sedaris also frequently tours to do live readings and signings. His most recent tour kicked off right here in Bethesda at Strathmore. Something that Sedaris is known for is his staunch support for other writers, as he felt that he was helped greatly in his early career by Ira Glass.
He kicked things off by introducing writer John Thorson, who read one of his short stories “Jason and the Astronauts.” It was a bit macabre, but an absolute laugh riot. Sedaris’ goal was realized in that I now look forward to seeing more from this emerging writer, who has a great deal of promise.
Running Time: 90 minutes, with no intermission.
David Sedaris appeared for one night only at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD. Tickets for the continuation of Strathmore’s season can be purchased here. David Sedaris’ remaining tour dates can be found here.
