Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log

Kevin Kling describes his zodiac sign as “Minnesota with Iowa rising,” and his accent could be right off the set of the movie Fargo. While many of his tales come from his Midwest roots, his childhood stories of the absurdity and irony of common human experience are recognizable to all of us. In Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log, Kling lovingly skewers the holiday traditions that we all recognize, from long drives to grandmother’s house to sibling competition for love and attention to the giddy excitement and profound disappointment of Christmas morning. Kling is perhaps best known for his regular storytelling contributions to NPR’s All Things Considered, but he is also an established playwright whose works include 21A, Lloyd’s Prayer, and Home and Away, which was produced at Seattle Rep in 1990.