By Audrey Liebross

 DEZART’S THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

Anyone who has the opportunity to attend one of the final five performances this weekend of Dezart Performs’ excellent production of Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play this weekend really should do so. It’s hilarious and biting, well-directed and well-acted, and likely to leave audience members with a great deal to think about.

Logan (Macy Idzakovich) is a high school drama teacher tasked with writing a play for elementary school students about the first Thanksgiving and other issues relevant to Native American Heritage Month — potentially a contradictory assignment. Logan and her boyfriend, Jaxton (Matthew Grondin), a street performer who has volunteered to act in Logan’s creation, are hardcore lefties who talk the talk but sometimes have a hard time walking the walk as far as they’d like to. Logan enlists Caden (John Wuchte), a nerdy history teacher, to do the historical research. She also uses some of her grant money to hire Alicia (Stefania Gonzalez), a professional actor, after Logan concludes incorrectly from the accoutrements Alicia wears in a headshot that she must be Native American. Suddenly, a group of white people are putting on a play about a fraught topic involving Native American people. If that weren’t enough of a problem, Caden’s truthful narratives are so violent that they would be completely unsuitable for kids. The opportunities for embarrassing humor are evident.

The Thanksgiving Play is the first known play produced on Broadway by a Native American female playwright. It was written in 2015, opened off-Broadway in 2018, and after workshops and revisions, ran on Broadway in 2023 for 30 previews and 61 regular performances. We are fortunate to have this hilarious, deep, sometimes cringeworthy satirical comedy, arrive in the Coachella Valley so soon after its limited Broadway run concluded.

I love political satire — the more pointed the better. I really enjoyed the production, including the script, but I’m not sure which side of the political spectrum would more appreciate it: Right wingers who think woke people are total schmucks, or woke people who are aware of the extremism of some of their colleagues who lean further left. It’s even possible that far left super-woke people might take the play literally and not notice that Ms. FastHorse appears to be throwing a lot of not-so-gentle barbs at them.

The four cast members (three of whom are members of Equity and the fourth, Ms. Gonzalez, a recent college graduate whom I assume has not yet qualified for Equity membership) do a fabulous job. Every time I see a production with Equity members, I realize what a major difference their presence can make to a production. Michael Shaw’s direction is equally adept, bringing out the best in the actors.

A word here about my own political philosophy, which is ordinarily irrelevant to a review, but highly significant regarding any review about this play: I am a Baby Boomer, so even though I skew significantly left, respecting people’s pronouns and trying to abandon dairy products and occasional fish eating in my mostly vegetarian diet to move closer to veganism, I do a lot of head-scratching over much of the philosophy of younger leftwingers. As a result, I found hilarious the adoption of buzzwords and woke concepts by Logan and Jaxton, such as “honoring” each other’s viewpoints and feelings and stopping to meditate whenever they become stressed.

Given that I howled with laughter at some of Logan’s stereotypical pronouncements, I certainly may be one of those that Ms. FastHorse is trying to reach with her satire. On the other hand, maybe she is trying to reach those who agree with Logan, and telling them that they’re carrying things much too far. I’d guess that she is trying to communicate with both groups, as well as those who believe that there is no reason to be cautious about presenting the stories of Indigenous people without their participation.

The serious theme underlying the script is whether white people have a moral right to interpret the first Thanksgivings from the point of view of Native Americans who later suffered at the hands of whites. (As the play and director’s note explain, there were several Thanksgiving celebrations in what became the United States). One part of the script that I found unconvincing was the premise that there were no native Americans available that could help a drama teacher put on a Thanksgiving Day play for elementary school students that was also appropriate for Native American Heritage Month. However, that was a necessary plot device to ensure that only white people wound up writing and performing the play within the play — without the plot device, the outer play (the one by Ms. FastHorse, as opposed to the elementary school play) could not exist.

The acting, directing, and comic timing are fabulous. Also, Jimmy Cuomo’s set really does evoke a high school drama classroom, with folding chairs, utilitarian tables, and a movable chalkboard. I very much enjoyed the play’s introduction — audience volunteers holding up signs and wearing headgear while a song called “The Nine Days of Thanksgiving,” a riff on “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” played in the background. The lyrics’ cringeworthiness hilariously set the tone for the play itself.

The humor in the script comes from a hard poke — not a gentle tickle. The parts that the audience seemed to enjoy most were the exaggerated physical movements from the talented cast and director Michael Shaw. To me, getting humor from something that is not explicitly in the script (such as facial expressions and moves) separates a top-notch production from one that is only good. Even if you don’t “get” Ms. FastHorse’s humor, you are still almost guaranteed to laugh at the elements that Michael Shaw and his cast have added to Ms. FastHorse’s sometimes club-you-over-the-head references.

Coincidentally, at this exact moment in real life, a firestorm is occurring because Native American singer Buffy Sainte Marie was accused in a Canadian Broadcasting Company documentary expose as misrepresenting both being Canadian and being a member of a First Nation. The shock and hurt are palpable on both sides — those who accept the accusations in the documentary believe that she profited financially from a lie, and those who do not are appalled that she has been accused. Although the story is still unfolding, my take is that there appears to be information in the singer’s favor that the documentary does not explore. In any event, that this is happening as I am trying to grapple with the meaning of this complex play that explores the views of Native Americans whose feelings have been marginalized for too long, adds an additional element to my ruminations. I’d urge theatregoers to read about the Buffy Sainte Marie brouhaha to help them understand why they may not understand this worthy play.

I recommend this production for multiple reasons: 1) The production itself is excellent; 2) the show is hilarious; and 3) whether you agree or disagree with the premises, it is bound to make audience members think. Like a dish that is better served the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to mingle, I found that I appreciated this play more with a day’s perspective, even though I laughed my head off while I was watching it.

Finally, I believe that it is both disrespectful and likely inaccurate to attempt to convey the stories of Native American people or other nonwhite people without the participation of those who are culturally connected to the stories. That appears to be one of Ms. FastHorse’s main points. On the other hand, if, for whatever reason, it is impossible to obtain such participation (which I doubt), we can still tell a more general story about history, because history, with all its flaws and glory, belongs to all of us. So, someone like Logan should keep trying to be a do-gooder and keep trying to respect other people. But, for goodness sake, let common sense prevail.

The Thanksgiving Play will run for five more performances, on Friday, November 10th at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 11th, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 12th at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Performances are at the Pearl McManus Theater, in the Palm Springs Woman’s Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262. To purchase tickets, call the box office from Tuesdays through Fridays, from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m., at 760-322-0179, ext 1, or buy them online at the Web site, www.DezartPerforms.org. Dezart, as a 501(c)(3) organization, welcomes donations, either through the Web site, or by mailing to Dezart Performs, 611 S Palm Canyon Drive Suite 7538, Palm Springs, CA 92264. 

The rest of Dezart Performs’ 2023-24 season consists of:

What the Constitution Means to Me (January 19 – 28, 2024), a dramatic comedy written by Heidi Schreck and directed by Craig Wells. This critically acclaimed show, a 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist, explores the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives. Audiences can expect a hilarious, hopeful, and achingly human experience.

A Case For the Existence of God (March 1 – 10) by Samuel D. Hunter, takes center stage next.  An emotional and thought-provoking drama directed by Michael Shaw, this play delves into the fragile worlds of Keith, a mortgage broker, and Ryan, a yogurt plant worker, as they bond over their shared experiences of marginality and the realities of financial insecurity.

Mr. Parker (April 12 – 21), a drama written by Michael McKeever, whose play Daniel’s Husband was the sell-out sensation of Dezart’s 2020 Season.  Directed by Randy Brenner, the play finds 54-year old widower Terry Parker adjusting to a newly single life after the loss of his partner of 30 years.

PHOTO CREDIT: David A. Lee