SALT LAKE CITY—When I found out that Wasatch Theatre Company was doing The Thanksgiving Play by The MacArthur Fellowship recipient, Larissa FastHorse, I quickly emailed Jim Martin, Executive Director at Wasatch Theatre Company, and asked if I could review it even though it had already opened; he graciously complied. It has closed its first short November run at the Co-Op in Gateway Mall, but fortunately, it will have a short run at the Regent Street Black Box in downtown SLC from December 2-5, and you should definitely check it out.
FastHorse is the first Native American woman to have a play produced on Broadway. The play was written in 2015 but did not achieve success until The Kilroys List recognized it as an underproduced play by a female playwright. The play had its off-Broadway debut in 2018 and premiered on Broadway at the Hayes Theater in April of 2023, under the direction of Rachel Chavkin.
The Thanksgiving Play is a satirical exploration of cultural sensitivity, political correctness, and the complexities surrounding the celebration of Thanksgiving by four white actors. Sounds like a disaster, right? So why did FastHorse, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, decide to portray the Thanksgiving story this way? FastHorse said she wrote this play in response to the notion that her works couldn’t be produced due to the perceived difficulty in “finding Native American actors.”
The play follows a group of well-intentioned yet clueless educators—and one actor—who are attempting to create a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play for their school. Through the plot, FastHorse invites the audience to question not only the portrayal of Indigenous people in mainstream media but also the responsibility of those in the creative industry to represent diverse voices authentically. FastHorse cleverly uses humor to shed light on the absurdity of performative allyship and the challenges of addressing historical inaccuracies surrounding Thanksgiving.
If you’re involved in the theatre world and live in a predominantly white community like Utah, you understand the challenges of casting plays that require a diverse ensemble—especially when theaters rely on unpaid actors, as many community theaters do. While some argue that productions should simply try harder, it’s also important to consider the impact on playwrights’ livelihoods, particularly Indigenous playwrights. If their works require Indigenous casts but go unproduced due to casting limitations, writers like FastHorse may struggle to sustain their craft. I admire FastHorse for thinking outside the box, using humor and sharp social commentary to bring her unique perspective to the stage in this thought-provoking play.
One of the standout elements of the play is FastHorse’s ability to capture the complexity of the Indigenous experience, which is often fraught with challenges but also marked by resilience and humor. That humor becomes a tool for critique and healing, allowing the audience to engage with uncomfortable truths while providing moments of levity. It would be impossible to portray without uncomfortable moments, but I honestly think that is a strength of this play. If audience members can acknowledge those uncomfortable moments and ask why they are uncomfortable, they can get somewhere. However, there are just as many—so so many—awkwardly hilarious moments. I almost lost it during a scene I can only describe as a 1990s rap meditation amid Enya songs.
FastHorse’s writing skillfully navigates the fine line between comedy and critique, prompting laughter while simultaneously urging the audience to confront uncomfortable truths.
Further, this play serves as a reminder that good intentions are not always enough and that genuine understanding requires more than surface-level gestures. For example, when Logan, the elementary school teacher (brilliantly portrayed by Hannah Orr), accidentally picks a non-native to portray a Native American in the school production, no matter what she does to try to fix it, she can’t, despite her best intentions. This is a good reminder that even the best white allies with the best intentions make mistakes, and instead of trying to fix it themselves, as Logan does, they will sometimes need to backtrack and apologize.
Jaxton (played by Ethan Hernandez) sees himself as a heteronormative yoga practitioner and professional actor, although his only gig—to this point—has been as a street performer at the local farmer’s market. I’ve seen Hernandez in productions I’ve reviewed before, and his attention to detail is impeccable; his expressions were some of my favorites throughout the show. He is always an asset to the actors around him.
Alicia (played by Kassandra Torres) portrays the professional actress from Los Angeles who typically performs exclusively at Disneyland. Logan hired her with a grant for a Native American actress. After a series of comic misunderstandings, it eventually becomes clear that Alicia is not Native American; she just thought that was the part they wanted her to play: “My agent had me take headshots as six different ethnic people,” she explains. Torres does a great job with what could be a tricky character; she leans on Alicia’s ignorance, which is crucial to making this character work, and her humor is on-point.
Caden (portrayed by Nick Bianchi) is an elementary school teacher, a “history specialist,” and a frustrated would-be playwright. He has ambitious and sometimes alarming ideas for the play (he’s already written an entire script), which he believes should begin 4,000 years ago with a huge bonfire. Caden gets emotional when his words are finally read aloud by adults who can pronounce the words. Bianchi does a flawless job portraying the desperate writer who has never had a chance to shine.
The Thanksgiving Play benefits from a well-crafted script, but its success is also contingent on this talented cast and a skilled director who brought FastHorse’s vision to life. When executed effectively, this production becomes a powerful and entertaining piece of theatre that prompts important conversations about cultural appropriation, historical accuracy, and the responsibility of artists to represent diverse voices. Director Jim Martin is in an MFA program at the University of Idaho at Moscow. He decided to include this play in Wasatch Theatre Company’s season while studying it for his program, according to an interview podcast with Theatre Arlington in Texas.
I believe The Thanksgiving Play is a significant contribution to Indigenous theatre, providing a compelling exploration of cultural representation and the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous communities. FastHorse’s play is an essential viewing experience that invites audiences to confront their own biases, engage with Indigenous perspectives, and participate in the broader conversation about representation and equity in the arts. It also highlights the importance of reclaiming and reshaping narratives. FastHorse’s work challenges the notions of what an Indigenous play can offer. In doing so, The Thanksgiving Play contributes to the ongoing dialogue about decolonizing the arts and fostering a more inclusive and equitable representation of Indigenous cultures.
*Below is a video preview from a different theater that gives you a taste of the show
The Thanksgiving Play is a satirical comedy written by Larissa FastHorse in 2015. The play follows a linear structure and incorporates informative moments to provide the audience with background knowledge on important events related to Native Americans. In 2017, it was recognized by the Kilroys as an underproduced play by a female playwright. The play had its off-Broadway debut in 2018.
Tickets $15-20
https://www.saltlakecountyarts.org/events/the-thanksgiving-play/
The Thanksgiving Play also has a December run, at the Regent Street Black Box in downtown SLC (144 South Regent Street). The dates are December 2 at 7:30 pm, December 3 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm and December 5 at 7:30 pm. To access these tickets, go to https://www.wasatchtheatre.org/
or
https://www.saltlakecountyarts.org/events/the-thanksgiving-play/
Wasatch Theatre Company
Presents The Thanksgiving Play
December 2nd – 4th, 2023
Regent Street Black Box
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
1620 East Jamestown Drive
Murray, Utah 84121, 435-618-0579
Run time: 90 minutes, with no intermission.
Age policy: Recommended for all ages. All patrons require a ticket (no babies in arms).
Resources
Podcast interview with Director Jim Martin:
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