Three readers will take the Turnage stage Wednesday night in a minimalist production of David Sedaris’ “The SantaLand Diaries.”

Those familiar with Sedaris’ work will recognize his unique brand of humor, according to Joey Toler, executive director of the Beaufort County Arts Council. The reading, shared by the trio of Scott Campbell, Rob Southern and Ron Lundry, is intended for mature audiences only.

“Don’t expect a production. It is simply three people sharing the monologue and reading from the script,” Toler said.

Toler said it’s a no frills, no staging, no special lighting, no special effects production that lasts about an hour. The story recreates Sedaris’ stint working as a Christmas elf — Crumpet in Elf — in “SantaLand” at Macy’s Department Store in New York City. The humorist, who grew up in Raleigh, became nationally known after he read “The Santaland Diaries” on NPW’s Morning Edition in 1992. The event has since become an NPR holiday tradition, according to the NPR website.

“Twenty-two thousand people came to see Santa today, and not all of them were well behaved. Today, I witnessed fistfights and vomiting and magnificent tantrums. The back hallway was jammed with people. There was a line for Santa and a line for the women’s bathroom. And one woman, after asking me a thousand questions already, asks: Which is the line for the women’s bathroom? And I shouted that I thought it was the line with all the women in it. And she said: I’m going to have you fired,” reads an excerpt from the story.

“This is good irreverent fun,” Toler said. “Anyone familiar with David Sedaris knows what to expect. If you’re not familiar with his work, you should know the piece is sardonic, cynical, wickedly funny, and many times surprisingly poignant. It’s a great antidote for anyone who is overdosing on too much Christmas cheer.”

For Toler, “The SantaLand Diaries” represents the arts council’s first foray into local theater since the Turnage Theater reopened this year under the nonprofit’s direction.

“The reading is a way to plant the seeds for the beginning of a community theater group, which is huge gap in our arts community. There are already plans for a production of “Steel Magnolias” in April of 2015, which will be the play’s 25^th anniversary,” Toler said, adding that “Steel Magnolias” has been produced twice before in the community, in 1990 and 2002.

Doors for the production will open at 6 p.m., and the reading will begin at 7:30 p.m. A $5 donation for the performance is suggested. The Turnage Theater is located at 150 W. Main St., Washington. For more information, call 252-946-2504.