"Ripped from the headlines!" is a dramatic tagline frequently used for gritty police procedurals. But it can, perhaps increasingly, also be applied to broad slapstick comedies.

Inspired by real events in a small town Up North, Jeff Daniels' Office Christmas Party Grinch in Fight with Rudolph Police Called (styled without punctuation) imagines the chain of events leading to the title bout between Whoville's most notorious thief and the most famous reindeer of all. Directed by Daniels and starring Ryan Carlson, Paul Strolli, Henri Franklin, Juji Berry, and Ruth Crawford, it is playing at The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea through December 22.  

Office Christmas Party Grinch in Fight with Rudolph Police Called, which writer, director, and Purple Rose founder Jeff Daniels describes as "the longest title of anything I've ever written," takes place in the aftermath of the titular skirmish. Wally Wilkins Jr., the third-generation head of Middletown Fudge Company, berates employees Jerry Cornicelli, a.k.a The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and Lamar Johnson, wearing a homemade Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer costume, about the mayhem that ensued after a disagreement about the tempo of "Silent Night." Wilkins' daughter Bernice is thrilled that their company is part of a viral moment, but Wilkins himself fears the negative attention may sink his already struggling business. The gang is offered a holiday miracle, of sorts, from a sleazy media company offering big money for a Grinch/Rudolph rematch—now the challenge for Wilkins is convincing the would-be pugilists to get back in the ring for the "Fight Before Christmas."

Ryan Carlson brings a large, physical comedic presence to his role as "Big W" Wally Wilkins, a man who presents a tough face to the world but privately struggles to uphold the legacy of his grandfather Wendell, the Newton Fudge Company founder whose portrait Wally consults in times of need. The most vibrant character, though, is Wally's daughter Bernice, played by Juji Berry. Berry brings joy and kinetic energy to the role, while also breaking up the contentious dynamic between the fudge boss and his beleaguered employees. This is extremely welcome, as the play might otherwise hold steady on one loud note of general discord.

The program lists Ruth Crawford as playing "Madge Milbury/additional roles." That "additional roles" often means just background characters, but in Office Christmas Party Crawford's changing hats is a bit in itself. Madge is Wilkins' trusted secretary, a woman who has been with the company almost since its founding and coined Middletown's unofficial response to haters, "Go Fudge Yourself." Crawford, though, also plays three other Middletown Fudge employees, including teenage social media intern Kevin, as well as a perpetually bewildered WDIV-4 reporter who can't seem to start her live segments on time. Some of these work, some of them don't; hearing a voiceover of Channel 4's Devin Skillian grow increasingly irritated waiting for the cub reporter to take her place on camera is amusing, but Kevin is just the broadest caricature of a teen, speaking only in slang that is supposedly "hip" but is for the most part already outdated.

Scenic Designer Bartley H. Bauer, Lighting Designer Stephen Sakowski, and Sound Designer Robert W. Hubbard have crafted a compact but rich world for Office Christmas Party. The centerpiece, of course, is the large portrait of the Middletown Fudge Company's founder, which comes to play a significant role in the unfolding drama and makes use of all three men's talents.

In fact, it's clear that all of the performers and backstage crew brought their best to realize Daniels' vision for the new play—Office Christmas Party does what it does very well. For my part, though, some of the comedy felt very rooted—or, less generously, stuck—in the land of syndicated sitcoms. It feels dated. Jerry/Grinch's big conflict is that he experiences "hysterical blindness" when under stress, causing him to bump into things and see peacocks; Lamar/Rudolph lives in constant fear of his wife clobbering him with a Bible. Yes, yes, there will be folks who roll their eyes at these criticisms and say, "You can't even joke anymore." But you can, you absolutely can—there are just funnier jokes. That said, most of the audience in the theater with me laughed at all the right spots, so I guess there's still plenty of room for this brand of humor.

By chance, I saw Office Christmas Party on the night of the infamous Jake Paul verus Mike Tyson boxing match. Uncannily, in both cases, the fight itself was beside the point. Unlike the match between former YouTube influencer and former heavyweight champ, however, Office Christmas Party aspires to add a bit of joy to the world. In nominally pitting two beloved holiday characters against each other, Daniels' play comes together in a message of love, hope, and family. 

Shaun Manning is a founder and former co-owner of Booksweet. He is also a writer of various things, mostly comics. 

"Office Christmas Party Grinch in Fight with Rudolph Police Called" is a The Purple Rose Theatre, 
137 Park Street, Chelsea, through December 22.