Review: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY at Vegas Theatre Company
By: Mari Donnelly Oct. 05, 2019
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By Marianne Donnelly
"Stories that bring us together" is the guiding mantra of Vegas Theatre Company, who along with their development group, known lovingly as Cockroach Theatre, bring new, promising, meaningful scripts to Vegas.
The Thanksgiving Play, by Larissa FastHorse, as directed by Daz Weller, is a fast-paced farce, with history sprinkled throughout, that made us giggle and sigh in agreement to the confusion holidays can bring when many become too politically correct.
Playing now in beautiful Arts Square Las Vegas through October 27 with new 7:30 pm showtimes!
Vegas Theatre Company's cast worked gags and timing to perfection on a spot-on set of a classroom, complete with heavy security door, large chalkboard, linoleum floor and plenty fold-out teaching guides, such as most knew in public school.
Played with synchronicity by Christopher Brown as Jaxton the politically overwrought yoga actor, Kelly Hawes as Logan the school's drama teacher and director of this play within a play, Scott McAdam as Caden a fellow teacher in this LA school and Amy Lee Reusch as Alicia the coy contract-bound, "aaaactresss!"
Thanksgiving, a time to celebrate the annual harvest, is celebrated in many countries at various times throughout Autumn. In the Unites States, a presidential proclamation by Abraham Lincoln--as a direct result of Sarah Josepha Hale writing letters to politicians for 40 years to make it an official holiday--proclaimed our Thanksgiving be held on the final Thursday in November, "explicitly to celebrate the Union's military successes to that point in the Civil War." (Wiki)
Larissa FastHorse is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Lakota people. Among many awards, Ms. FastHorse received a National Endowment for the Arts Distinguished New Play Development Grant and this script is the product.
"Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions" in Larissa FastHorse's wickedly funny satire revolving around terminally "woke" (awakened) teaching artists scrambling to create a school pageant to celebrate both "Turkey" Day and Native American Heritage Month.
Many of the misconceptions and amalgamations referred to in the script emanate from Ms. FastHorse's life experiences.
Stage: Nichole Killion
Scenic: Alexia Chen
Lighting: Andy Killion
Sound: Toby Allen
Costume: Candice Wyants
Props: Rebecca Sass
Fridays 7:30pm
Saturdays 2pm & 7:30pm
Sundays 5pm
(no show first Friday of the month to accommodate First Friday Festivals).
1025 S 1st St #110
Las Vegas NV 89101
(Just off Charleston at South Main)
+1 725 222 9661
info@vegastheatrecompany.com
Marianne Donnelly tours as Louisa May Alcott, Janis Joplin, Nellie Bly. Comments welcome mdonnelly00@gmail.com
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