Stage Review: ‘Thanksgiving Play’ Satirizes Politcal Correctness
By J.E. Ballantyne Jr.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – With all of the emphasis these days on political correctness, it was only a matter of time before someone would write a play dealing with that touchy subject. “The Thanksgiving Play,” by Larissa FastHorse, which opened Friday night at the Playhouse, is a humorous satirical trip down that road.
It is Native American Heritage Month and an elementary school is attempting to write a play about the first Thanksgiving that is politically correct. Three White elementary educators plus one White actress gather in a classroom to hash out a representation of this historic event.
Renee Cole leads the group as Logan, a drama teacher/director who must guide the other three into some sort of cohesive group to present a play that will not offend anyone or any group. Cole has the toughest job in the cast as she must play off of everyone else’s wandering ideas and be the fortress of fairness and the referee between all of the others. She does well as the mediator and stabilizer.
Early on, Cole came on a little too over the top with exaggerated gestures and a somewhat forced line delivery. It wasn’t until a good five minutes into the show that it hit me that this is part of the style of the show – the rest of the cast was coming off the same way. It became a sort of competition of which character can outdo the other. Each character gets many chances to trot out their own far blown ideas.
Cole does well in maintaining the character and trying not to become too frazzled while she keeps everyone on point with the massive task at hand. Working with four adults in this situation isn’t a whole lot different than teaching a class full of little kids.
In an attempt to bring some authenticity to the project, Logan hires a professional actress named Alicia. She believes that Alicia is Native American and will add some credibility to the proceedings. Well, maybe not! She comes to find out that Alicia only plays Native Americans, she really isn’t one.
Jaclyn-Sarah Senich plays Alicia, whose main concern is basically herself. Her need to constantly remind everyone that she is an actress throws a thorn into the project amid all of the other turmoil that ensues. Senuch does well with an affected portrayal of Alicia that provides much of the humor in the play. She is particularly effective late in the show in a scene within a scene talking about turkey parts. Here again, the somewhat over-the-top portrayal of Alicia fits right in with the character and makes Alicia a very colorful part of the show.
Jaxson, played by Eric McCrea, is by character a very over-the-top individual. Besides being a teacher, his claim to fame is that he calls himself a professional actor – he plays street corners reaping his vast wealth from change tossed in a can from passersby. McCrea plays the comedy of the character well and is helped by a very expressive face. Jaxson has his moments where he comes off a little clueless and McCrea delivers those moments well.
Caden, the character that seems to have most of the laughs built around him, is played very well by Brendan Boyle. Caden is over enthusiastic and goes off on tangents as he traces the first Thanksgiving back 4,000 years to unlikely places like Florida and Texas. Boyle has abundant energy that is off the charts at times but it fits right in with Caden’s over-the-top enthusiasm along with visuals to back up his crazy claims.
The cast does well with this script, which at times seems to get a little off track and forces the audience to backtrack a bit to fit pieces together. Their energy and pacing is perfect as it must be for this type of show. As ideas fly around the room about what their show should be and what it should and shouldn’t say, the cast does well to keep the show moving. A couple of opening night flubs, although minor, seemed to fit right in with these characters.
Director Nick Mulichak is to be commended for a job well done with a show that has little to no following, at least in this area. And although it satirizes the whole political correctness idea and has lots of laughs, it also gives the audience something to think about once the show has ended. Mulichak also designed the set of a classroom which functioned well in the smaller Moyer Room facility.
The entire political correctness movement can touch off powerful emotions on either end of the spectrum. This show doesn’t take sides. It has some fun with it and makes everybody think about their own feelings about the topics that the playwright treats in a lighthearted way.
The Thanksgiving Play will continue Nov. 16, 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 17, 24 at 2:30 p.m.
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