In a world that’s grown increasingly uptight, there’s little that’s as edgy-funny as universal offensiveness. That’s what the Rep Studio’s version of Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play brings us. Amelia Acosta Powell, the Rep’s associate artistic director directs this story of How Not To Do It.
FastHorse, who is from the Sicangu Lakota Nation of Native Americans, loves Thanksgiving. But, she says, she’s really tired of how history is so often wrong, being written by the winners, and how strongly people cling to the errors despite information to the contrary. Her attempt to set things straight on the subject of Thanksgiving, rather than a this-is-what-really-happened line, is a comedy to remind us to think more about the real story of Thanksgiving, and, by inference, a lot of other things.
Thanksgiving plays were, and probably still are, a staple of childhood education in many places. Of necessity with kids, it’s boiled down to what (we think are) basic elements. The Thanksgiving Play sets us up with a high school drama teacher, Logan (Shayna Blass) trying to create a modern and more accurate version with her sort-of-significant-other Jaxton (Adam Flores), and a history teacher named Caden (Jonathan Spivey). Because she’s gotten a grant to help fund this, she’s also hired Alicia, a Native American actress to come in from Los Angeles (Ani Djirdjirian) and work with them so they can create a politically correct play.
Logan’s extreeeeeemly concerned about correct portrayals, hurt feelings, a higher level of consciousness – and keeping the school board happy. Being high-strung to begin with, this is all very stressful. Jaxton, who explains he’s a professional actor because he works at the local farmers market performing on the subject of recycling, is all in on this and the improv-style brainstorming Logan insists on. Caden, the history teacher and unpublished playwright, comes in with a written script that begins 4,000 years ago.
And then there’s Alicia. So Hollywood, so lovely, so un-woke – and so not Native American.
The fast-moving satire is punctuated by entre-acte bits depicting possible children’s plays about Thanksgiving and quotes from real teachers’ lesson plans and Pinterest boards. Reality, as usual, can be as funny as anything authors can create.
It’s a wonderful acting ensemble. As the sincere-but-fragile drama teacher, it seems Blass’ head may blow apart at times. Flores’ wide-eyed Jaxton follows his own logic down rabbit holes that dead end. Jonathan Spivey is less driven by correctness but more by his love of history and his perpetually thwarted efforts to see his own work performed – his thrill at hearing actors use his lines is touching.
Ani Djirdjirian, though, almost steals the show as the not-Native American whose looks let her audition for many so-called ethnic parts. (Logan hired her from her photograph.) The annoyance at this discovery lets us gradually discover Alicia isn’t quite as Betty Boop-y as she seems. When challenged on inauthentic casting, she says, having worked at a Disney park, “After all, Lumiere isn’t really a candlestick!” Alicia is just as over the top as Logan; Djirdjirian is utterly irresistible with the eye-rolls, the flouncing and the much-vaunted hair flip.
For those who disdain political correctness, there’s obvious delight here. But for those who understand it, we quickly see just how goofy extremes are. And that’s the point. In addition, we’d point out that theater is often at its funniest when it looks at itself. There’s considerable poking of fun there as well – where else do you hear a joke about dramaturgs?
Great fun, considerable laughter, and ninety minutes with no intermission.
The Thanksgiving Play
through February 9
Studio Theatre
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves
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