Part of the series, “…by Nancy”
Jaxton: You’re being a bitch- bit dictatorial about it.
Logan: That is an incredibly offensive gender-biased statement.
Jaxton: I went by the pronoun “they“ for a full year. I am allowed one mistake.
p.48, Acting Edition, as published by Samuel French
TPT Commentary:
The Thanksgiving Play is a craftily written hilariously lampoon of our modern attempts to retcon dominant culture with the goal of feeling better and offending no one, while changing nothing. Your progressive audiences will see the satire and dig deeper while the conservatives they dragged with them guffaw at all the futile “snowflake” antics. It is both hilarious and mildly thought provoking while being very accessible to production budgets and board member censorship. Some of the links provided by the playwright are now defunct, but there is much latitude for creativity and fun to be had fashioning these “thanksgiving play” vignettes.
Recommendation:
Strong, with mild reservations (language, subject matter). small theater, one set, contemporary setting and costumes, timely, and approachable for most any theatre group of any size (black box/second stage, fringe groups), not set in NYC/Northeast US, playwright who identifies as a woman and is of a non-dominant marginalized culture
Summary: a group of “culturally sensitive” artists makes a series of fumbling attempts in an effort to fashion a public performance honoring both the traditional American November holiday and Native American Heritage Month.
Themes: indigenous peoples, diversity, “wokeness,” privilege, liberal guilt
Cast: 2w/2m all “Caucasian looking.“ There is latitude to include children in short stereotypical “Thanksgiving play” scenes. Author’s note on casting: “All ages are open and people of color that can pass as white should be considered for all characters.” Professional casting notice:
Running Time: 90 minutes: 8 scenes: No intermission is indicated; however, there are breaks in scenes where an intermission might be inserted. There is no author’s note prohibiting an intermission.
Royalties: apply here
Sets: one set: a high school classroom
Costumes:4 contemporary costumes indicating eccentric stereotypes with accessories or full costumes that might indicate stereotypical “Thanksgiving play” costumes. May be suggested in construction paper/poster board, felt, etc.
Props: As appropriate for a high school classroom: door, exit signs, escape plan, fire extinguisher, desks,etc. Musts: chalkboard or white board, poor indications of stereotypical “Thanksgiving play” items: pilgrim hats, headdresses, two severed heads resembling Native Americans (yup)
Provenance:
Playwright:
Other plays: Cow Pie Bingo, Urban Rez, Native Nation, and Average Family, as well as Teaching Disco Squaredancing to our Elders: A Class Presentation, and Cherokee Family Reunion
Awards: PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award for an American Playwright, NEA Distinguished New Play Development Grant, Joe Dowling Annamaghkerrig Fellowship, AATE Distinguished Play Award, Inge Residency, Sundance/Ford Foundation Fellowship, Aurand Harris Fellowship, UCLA Native American Program Woman of the Year, Numerous Creative Capital, Ford, Mellon and NEA Grants, Vice chair of the board of directors of Theater Communications Group
Play: Top 10 Most Produced Plays this season around the country:
Purchase: Acting edition: $9.95:
Reviews:
New York, 2018:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/theater/review-thanksgiving-play.html
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/thanksgiving-play-theater-review-1158046
Los Angeles, 2019:
Seattle, 2019:
Crowd reviews: https://www.goldstar.com/events/seattle-wa/the-thanksgiving-play-tickets/reviews
Eugene, Oregon, 2019
https://www.klcc.org/post/thanksgiving-play-comical-and-critical-take-holiday
Greenville, SC
http://carolinacurtaincall.com/2019/11/14/review-warehouse-theatres-the-thanksgiving-play/
Nevada City, CA, 2019
Crowd reviews: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SierraStages/reviews/?referrer=page_recommendations_see_all
Denver, CO, 2019
https://www.onstagecolorado.com/the-thanksgiving-play/
Boston, MA, 2019
https://www.berkshirefinearts.com/10-21-2019_the-thanksgiving-play-by-larissa-fasthorse.htm
Sarasota, FL, 2019
Portland, OR, 2019
Drinking: None
Smoking: None
Sex: Some innuendo and posturing (see Language)
Language: several sexual innuendos/double entendres: “exploding sticks,” “the breast is ample whilst the leg is moist,” “And the sex is so-,” “bitch” (one instance)
Violence: mild slapstick tussles, two bleeding severed heads (props) resembling Native Americans kicked about for sport and shock value (really)
Other possibly controversial subject matter: ethnicity, “wokeness,” privilege, cultural diversity, white guilt
Rating: PG-13
Format inspired by the sadly suspended operations of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre (then enhanced by TPT)
willitplayhere 