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| "The Thanksgiving Play" cast by Larissa FastHorse Playwrights Horizons Through November 25th |
Playwrights Horizons has a long and rich history of developing new plays and encouraging new playwrights. That tradition continues with the current production of "The Thanksgiving Play" written by Lakota tribe member Larissa FastHorse. For many in the cast and crew of this play, this is their first experience collaborating with a Native American. She uses "reduction ad absurdum" in skewering the traditions of Thanksgiving celebrations, and misguided "White guilt" efforts at being "Woke" in trying to swing the cultural pendulum in a non-paternalistic direction. The result is a madcap scramble among four characters who struggle to craft a middle school play for the annual Thanksgiving assembly. Ms. FastHorse uses fire to fight fire - utilizing hilariously absurd stereotypes to throw a glaring spotlight onto many of our societal stereotypes - the white liberal academic, the Hollywood bimbo, the zen-infused couple whose "decoupling ritual" is hilarious.
This four-hander is perfectly cast. Jennifer Bareilles is wonderfully uptight as Logan, the militantly vegan play's director who agonizes over crafting a play that covers all of the bases and satisfies all of the sensibilities of the funders who have written grants for this production. Her partner in life is the street performer, Jaxton, played wonderfully by Greg Keller. Greg is into Eastern religion, meditation, and is smitten with the buxom Hollywood actress, Alicia, who has been hired in the mistaken belief that she is Native American. Margo Seibert is wonderfully ditsy as the very blonde Alicia. Equally besotted with Alicia's charms is Caden, played with low key brilliance by Jeffrey Bean. Caden holds a Ph. D. in history, but is underemployed teaching at the elementary level. He sees helping to write and present this play as his big breakthrough. The audience on the evening that I saw the play was heavily weighted with theater people, and Caden's line about the disrespect accorded dramaturgy got the biggest laugh of the night.
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Greg Keller as Jaxton, Jennifer Bareilles as Logan
Jeffrey Bean as Caden, Margo Seibert as Alicia
"The Thanksgiving Play"
by Larissa FastHorse
Playwrights Horizons
Through November 25th
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Like a visual artist who makes creative use of negative space, Ms. FastHorse uses the absence of any real Native American characters or voices in this play to highlight the chronic invisibility of Native Americans in the American dialogue about race, genocide, and broken treaties and promises. This sardonically comedic play offers laughs that cause us to also pause and think about the past, and our responsibility to learn from it.
Moritz von Stuelpnagel deftly balances the elements and actors of this play. Scenic Design is by Wilson Chin, Costumes by Tilly Grimes, Lighting by Isabella Byrd, Sound by Mikaal Sulaiman.
The play runs through November 25th at Playwrights Horizons, 416 42nd Street.
Enjoy!
Al
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