Get ready for a Thanksgiving comedy that’s as fresh as an underbaked pie! Larissa FastHorse’s Broadway play, The Thanksgiving Play, is hitting the stage after eight long years in the making. This satire on Liberal guilt, woke sensitivities, and Goopy indulgence promises to have New York audiences laughing at their own political vulnerabilities.
Directed by Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) and starring D’Arcy Carden, Katie Finneran, Scott Foley, and Chris Sullivan, this star-studded cast is sure to deliver a performance that will leave you in stitches. But will the jokes hit the mark or fall flat like a soupy mess?
Set in an elementary school classroom, the play follows four white adults who are tasked with staging this year’s Thanksgiving play. With a politically correct agenda in mind, they recruit a history-slash-playwright-wannabe teacher and an actress they believe will provide a non-white perspective. But as the rehearsals unfold, things start to go awry.
From the start, the premise asks a lot from the audience. Can we really believe that a grade-school production would star a professional Los Angeles actress? And in a post-George Floyd era, is there really government “diversity” money available for such productions? These questions, along with the cluelessly “woke” characters’ exchanges, add to the comedic chaos.
As the play progresses, far-fetched lines and unexpected actions pile up like Thanksgiving turkey bones. The dialogue becomes as inexplicable as the sudden appearance of bloody human prop heads, and even yoga dude gets his hands on blue face paint and goes full-on Braveheart. It’s a hilarious mess that will keep you entertained from start to finish.
Interspersed throughout the play are video projections of real-life grade-school Thanksgiving songs, which turn out to be shockingly racist and violent. These moments make stronger points than anything else happening onstage, adding an unexpected layer of depth to the comedy.
So, get ready to laugh, cringe, and question your own Thanksgiving traditions. The Thanksgiving Play is a must-see comedy that will have you rolling in the aisles. Don’t miss out on this hilarious and thought-provoking Broadway experience!
Title: The Thanksgiving Play
Venue: Broadway’s Hayes Theater
Director: Rachel Chavkin
Playwright: Larissa FastHorse
Cast: D’Arcy Carden, Katie Finneran, Scott Foley, and Chris Sullivan
Running time: 80 min (no intermission)
