Dear Diaries

Gary Culig is back in town tonight and will pull on a pair of striped stockings and the pointy velvet hat belonging to the snarky elf in David Sedaris's The SantaLand Diaries — for the eighth year in a row. "It would be weird not doing it," Culig says. "I can't imagine a holiday without it."

Culig moved to New York City two years ago, where he recently visited the real Macy's SantaLand for the first time and was surprised by the accuracy of Sedaris's description. However, Culig's connection to the wonderland marred his experience: "Imagination is a powerful thing, and after seven years of imagining it, I was disappointed."

He did get a pleasant surprise when he auditioned for a CellularOne holiday commercial, however. "I was sure I'd get cast as the elf, but I didn't, and I was very relieved to not have to play an elf on national television. I think that would have sealed my fate."

Peek into the Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo Street, at 8 p.m. for this holiday tradition; the show runs through December 24. Call 303-477-9984 or visit www.bugtheatre.org for tickets, $22 to $25, and information.
Tuesdays-Sundays, 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 17, 2 p.m.; Dec. 23-24, 2 p.m. Starts: Dec. 8. Continues through Dec. 24