Anna Kosiarek (Alicia), Will Livingston (Jaxton), Cary Ann Rosko ( Logan), Tyler Iiams ( Caden)
Altarena’s “The Thanksgiving Play” is a mind-stretching, satirical “Let’s learn that” tour through the false history of the indigenous people in America. Larissa FastHorse portrays white Americans as phonies, unable to find a true self, or understand Native American culture.
Director Kimberly Ridgeway artistically enhances Fasthorse’s humor, bringing each character to shine independently. The artistic blend of Videographer Michael Franklin video film clips featuring Damian Clark, Filip Hofman, Heather Kellogg-Baumann, and Caroline Schneider adds sardonic humor to the onstage actors’ performances. All poke at different type of misrepresentation at the Thanksgiving tradition and the cultural divides between Native Americans and Whites. The classroom setting cleverly designed by Tom Curtin, has the feel of a classroom, spread out. Four white actors passionately brainstorm and debate ill-conceived ideas about writing a new Thanksgiving script.
Cary Ann Rosko plays a masterful Logan, an anxious drama teacher, ex-actor, and director, who gathers a comically assorted cast. For Native American Heritage Month, Logan tries to produce a “culturally sensitive play,” struggling to comply with a grant that requires a Native American actor.
Logan hires an actor, dizzy Alicia, animated Anna Kosiarek, who hails from L.A. with European ancestry, but posed as a Native American in her head shot. Simple-minded Alicia thinks Native Americans invented turquoise. Alicia honors her simple self; she enjoys being pretty, and stares calmly at the ceiling, expressing her “contentment”—a rare achievement.
Logan’s anguishes at discovering that Alicia is not Native American, as her anxieties overwhelm her. Logan intends to produce a “devised” play, meaning the four actors will brainstorm ideas, work out the theme, and write the script together. Of course, mayhem ensues.
They want to solve the puzzle of political correctness, but they do not know how.
Both Logan and her opinionated, insecure boyfriend, Jaxton, versatile Will Livingston, struggle to find meaning in “Native American Heritage.” Jaxton reveals himself as a worried vegan, ex-street performer, and devoted yoga lover. Determined to understand “Native American Gestalt,” Jaxton remains clueless. He attempts to downplay his straight, white male opinions behind a veil of funny New-Age babel. He moves about the classroom with agility, constantly displaying his yoga positions bringing his character more to life. Fun to watch.
The fourth member of this rag-tag cast is third-grade intellectual history teacher Caden portrayed with exaggerated frustration by Tyler Iiams, He mansplains about the murderous Pilgrims. Logan, Jaxton, and Alicia show little interest in his facts, because they have their own agendas. Caden emerges as an uptight, wannabe playwright, showing off for the lovely Alicia, his comic love interest.
Anna Kosiarek (Alicia), Tyler Iiams ( Caden), Will Livingston (Jaxton)
FastHorse also has fun with frozen turkeys and hopeless theatrics, undermining the reality of Logan’s hope of saving thousands of turkeys. But Alicia has them all playing “Frozen Turkey Bowling.” Their serious intent, often very funny, turns into silly games and misleading ideas about traditions.
At one point, Caden describes the 1970 Thanksgiving Native American protest at Mount Rushmore. Protestors were arrested, beaten, and jailed without medical attention, and with their basic rights to protest denied. Luckily, some of that has changed today, although prejudice still reigns. Yet, Caden is the closest to the reality of the horrible situation, and initiates questions that the audience may ask themselves—seeing beyond the misguided humor.
The three other aspiring characters meet Caden’s truths with ignorance and lack of understanding. As they prance around the classroom, Director Ridgeway shows that they are the real and comical turkeys. The choreographed movement blend beautifully with Altarena’s square design.
Somehow, amid the chaos and distractions, “The Thanksgiving Play” exposes those who reject truth, and ennobles those who are willing to seek new knowledge. Sometimes we laugh in disbelief, other times not so much. We just stare at the ceiling. As stated in the play; “By doing nothing we become part of the solution.”
Do we stay status quo or shift the paradigm toward embracing facts and rejecting old lies? “The Thanksgiving Play” taken through an open-minded lens sheds light into this ageless challenge. Come see this creative play and laugh at how silly, and sad, our misinterpretations can be.
“The Thanksgiving Play” Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize, written by Larissa FastHorse, directed by Kimberly Ridgeway at Altarena Playhouse through November 24th.
Cast: Tyler Iiams, Anna Kosiarek, Will Livingston, Cary Ann Rosko.
Photos by Grizzly De Haro