Celebrate the arrival of turkey season with a thought-provoking play about one of America’s most cherished holidays – Thanksgiving!
Showcased in Coral Gables’ GableStage from Nov. 18 to Dec. 10, “The Thanksgiving Play” is the mastermind creation of Larissa FastHorse, award-winning author, choreographer, ballet dancer, Indigenous Direction co-founder (a consulting company for Indigenous arts) and the first Indigenous American woman to have a play on Broadway.
The satirical comedy, which according to FastHorse’s website is one of the top ten most produced plays in America during the season, is about “four well-meaning but misguided white folks – drama teacher Logan (Katie Finneran), her underemployed actor boyfriend Jaxton (Scott Foley), history buff Caden (Chris Sullivan) and ethnically ambiguous starlet Alicia (D’Arcy Carden) – who attempt to devise a plan about the authentic origins of Thanksgiving to present to elementary school students. Although they lean into our nation’s bloody past, their obliviousness and performative wokeness turn the piece into a hilarious turkey,” states the Theatre Development Funds’ website.
The play serves as an educational tool for exploring U.S. history, challenging the portrayal of indigenous people commonly taught in American classrooms. According to an article published by The New York Times in April, FastHorse’s production delves into themes of mythmaking and the essence of theater, showing that regardless of a story’s authenticity, it can still have far-reaching consequences, even when it comes from well-intended people.
“With provocative questions around erasure and authorship of history, this comedy asks how we proceed when steadfast assumptions are disrupted,” says GableStage’s website.
For more information, visit gablestage.org.