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THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

BY LARISSA FASTHORSE

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Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in Larissa FastHorse’s wickedly funny satire, as a troupe of terminally “woke” teaching artists scrambles to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month.

Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) is an award winning writer and 2020-2025 MacArthur Fellow. Her satirical comedy, The Thanksgiving Play, made her the first known female Native American playwright on Broadway at the Helen Hayes under the direction of Rachel Chavkin. Her new plays in 2023 are Wicoun (Cornerstone Theater Company), Democracy Project (Federal Hall), Fake It Until You Make It ( CTG Mark Taper Forum), For the People (Guthrie), and the national tour of Peter Pan (Networks). Selected past plays include What Would Crazy Horse Do? (KCRep), Landless and Cow Pie Bingo (AlterTheater), Average Family (Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis), Teaching Disco Squaredancing to Our Elders: a Class Presentation (Native Voices at the Autry), as well as numerous productions of The Thanksgiving Play, making it one of the most produced plays in America. Larissa’s company with Ty Defoe, Indigenous Direction, recently produced the first land acknowledgement on national television for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC and continues to consult for them and the largest theater organizations in the country.​ Larissa also writes in film and television, most recently as a creator for NBC, Disney Channel, Dreamworks, Muse, Netflix and others. She is based in Los Angeles with her husband, the sculptor Edd Hogan, and represented by Jonathan Mills at Paradigm NY. She is especially honored to follow in the footsteps of the last known Native American playwright on Broadway, Lynn Riggs. hoganhorsestudio.com

CAST & CREW

Alison Butts (Headshot).jpg
Johnny Esposito (Headshot).jpg
Sandy Clancy Headshot.jpg

ALISON BUTTS

JOHNNY ESPOSITO

SANDY CLANCY

ERIK JOHNSON

LOGAN

JAXTON

ALICIA

CADEN

DIRECTOR

STAGE MANAGER

CHRIS ORTIZ

MORGAN FITZPATRICK

SET & PROPS DESIGNER

PRODUCTION MANAGER

HAZEL J. PETERS

LYDIA COCHRAN

LIGHT & SOUND BOARD

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

CHARLIE WYNN

JOHN SOMERS

DRAMTURG

GRAPHIC DESIGN/SOCIAL MEDIA

AYA KHOURY

SANDY CLANCY

COSTUME COORDINATOR

PRODUCER

HANNAH SCHUURMAN

ROB KLIMECZKO

MEDIA

NOMINATIONS

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BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY (PROFESSIONAL)

ALISON BUTTS

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY (PROFESSIONAL)

SANDY CLANCY

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY (PROFESSIONAL)

CHRIS ORTIZ

BEST ENSEMBLE (PROFESSIONAL)

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

"There is a rich, tasty meal of fun to be had with this show and all that is missing is some gravy."

"While there are no flats used for this show's set, the single, split level space and stage has been nicely transformed into a high school drama classroom at the fictitious 'Jefferson High School.' Lighting and sound cues are expertly executed throughout the production, as well. This allows for director Chris Ortiz's clever staging and audiences to flow well from beginning to end with little downtime for any set redressing required.

Prior to and after the performance, audiences should also take notice of a plethora of equally clever artwork surrounding the space which is designed not only to entertain but enlighten."

"THE THANKSGIVING PLAY is not a literary feast that will satisfy everyone's dramatic tastes but, for those who are willing to embrace some collective personal guilt in exchange for a hearty helping of the elevated humor, then they will come away from the feast with some satisfaction."

- Kevin Baldwin, METRMAG 

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