Review: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY At New Village Arts
What happens when you ask two teachers, a street yogi, and an actress, to create a play teaching about Thanksgiving without offending anyone? You get a lot of laughs as this overly woke team descends into comedic chaos trying to figure out what to say and who is allowed to say it in “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse at New Village Arts now playing through November 3rd.
Photo Credit: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY (Jason Sullivan)
This 90-minute one-act dissects political correctness, the school system, creating art by committee, and the pretentiousness of well-meaning woke people and theatre people. It starts with a funny and adorable rendition of a preschool class singing a Thanksgiving "Twelve Days of Christmas” parody song. As they sing about teepees and pumpkin patches (my favorite is AJ Knox timidly singing “four bows and arrows”), introducing us to this farce's players and how early and inappropriately children are taught about the meaning of Thanksgiving.
Logan (Samantha Ginn) is the director of this elementary school production and is stressed because her last show, a kid's version of “The Iceman Cometh,” ended with a 300 parent-signed petition to get rid of her. Her sometimes romantic partner Jaxton (Kenny Bordieri) is a farmers market street performing yogi, and between them, they have many side conversations re-centering themselves or figuring out the ethical and philosophical questions as each new twist is revealed. Caden (AJ Knox) is a third-grade teacher and avid history buff who brings numerous historical corrections, along with binders of dialogue, for this play, as he is also an aspiring playwright.
The three discuss their goals and hopes for the piece when Alicia (Erica Marie Weisz) arrives. She is an actress from LA who Logan hired to bring an “authentic” Indigenous voice to the piece (and also fulfill a grant requirement), and the three are so overcome to have her they all do a little bow to Alicia’s delight and confusion.
It turns out that Alicia is not Indigenous, though she may have played one on TV (as well as being the third understudy for Jasmine at Disneyland). Logan just made the assumption based on one of Alicia's headshots. So now, they all find themselves having to create a play written and performed exclusively by white people, but speaking on the Indigenous experience—the question is, how?
This satire, smartly directed by Daniel Jaquez, starts and continues to build in pace as the characters debate, experiment, and try not to offend in creating this elementary school play. This piece lands one joke after another, thanks to this terrifically talented cast. If the cast didn’t work together or have the comedic chemistry, this play would not work as well as it does.
Photo Credit: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY (Jason Sullivan)
Ginn is a wonderful comedian, and Logan starts off stressed and becomes ever more tense as she sees the perfection of her piece constantly derailed by reality. She’s a vegan who lasted six whole weeks in LA before returning home to teach and celebrates all the grants she got to create this play strung together like progressive hot-button gibberish.
As Jaxton, Bordieri is delightfully insufferable as a guy who talks about love, peace, Burning Man, and being a “Vegan ally.” He offers his respect to other points of view but somehow always seems to bring it back to the White (mostly male) experience, and when upset, his mediations look more like tantrums.
Knox's Caden, is focused on historical accuracy to a fault when not distracted by being around Alicia. He becomes an increasingly frustrated voice of historical reason before succumbing to the madness and re-enacting a violent scene with Jaxton.
Photo Credit: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY (Jason Sullivan)
Within this talented ensemble, Weisz stands out as Alicia, who is unburdened by philosophical debate and historical facts and is sweetly present and happy, knowing her strengths. Always snacking, carrying no less than four beverages, and happy to do nothing but look at ceiling tiles, she might be the smartest and most self-aware character in the entire play.
Fasthorse has a lot to say in this piece, and while all characters get skewered, Logan and Jaxton are the most egregious offenders. They are so busy using phrases like “I want to lift up the acknowledgment that…,” “Coded language,” and “we need to be conscious of…” that what they end up doing and creating is nothing.
The scenic design by Michael Wogulis brings a classroom and hallway to the stage. Lighting design by Annelise Salazar, sound design by Evan Eason, and costumes by Sandra Ruiz help bring this setting to life.
“The Thanksgiving Play” feels a bit long towards the end, but ultimately, it is a fun and satirical show that makes a salient point about the voices we should be listening to but who always seem to get the spotlight instead.
How To Get Tickets
“The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse at New Village Arts is now playing through November 3rd. For ticket and showtime information, go to www.newvillagearts.org