Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Serves Up Satire for Thanksgiving

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Photo by Paul Ruffalo - milwaukeechambertheatre.org

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre - Thanksgiving Play

Native American playwright Larissa Fasthorse wastes no time in puncturing notions of typically Caucasian views about the first Thanksgiving. Her satire, The Thanksgiving Play, is determined to make audiences think as well as laugh and boy, does it deliver.

In this Wisconsin premiere, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre makes the daring leap from a digital, streaming version of this show (presented last season) to this onstage version. Only two of the former production’s four actors remain; however, the new crew performs brilliantly under the direction of noted actor/director Laura Gordon.

Gordon mines every nuance of the situation, in which white teaching artists come together to create a grade school play about the first Thanksgiving. Determined to also honor Native American history, the play’s director, Logan (Cassandra Bissell) has hired what she thought was an authentic Native American actor. However, her attempts to bridge cultural gaps go hilariously awry. The sexy, Los Angeles-based actor, Alicia, (Hannah Shay) notes that her stock photos are intended to reflect the many ethnicities she can play, including Native American.

This revelation nearly throws Logan into hysterics, as she frets whether she’ll meet the requirements of various grants she has received to do the play.

As the group determines to find their politically correct way out of this mess, the playwright inserts brief chapters from elementary-level instruction guides. In one, set to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” the actors sing and dance to lyrics about headdresses, moccasins, blankets, bows and arrows—and a Halloween pumpkin? Hmmmm. The funniest of these absurd vignettes involves a quartet of singing turkeys, who inevitably are targeted by an (offstage) hunter. Now, what grade school kid wouldn’t love to see that?

Comic Highlights

Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Logan attempts to salvage the situation with help from her “enlightened” boyfriend, who believes himself to be a trained professional actor. In reality, Jaxton (Neil Brookshire) is a yoga/meditation buff and street corner busker who entertains crowds at a local farmer’s market. They enlist help from Caden (Torrey Hanson), an older teacher and would-be playwright who has done extensive research on harvest festival traditions going back thousands of years. His awful and racist-leaning dialogue is among the play’s comic highlights. While everyone in the cast is expected to contribute to this project, laid-back Alicia prefers to stare at the ceiling and contemplate, well, nothing.

A talented cast brings these stereotypical characters into focus. As Logan, Cassandra Bissell is perhaps the most believable. Logan shows an earnest desire to “do the right thing,” even if it means violating her vegan philosophy (yes, their play will involve people actually eating turkeys). Her attraction to Jaxton (Neil Brookshire) seems to be based more on her desire to save a wounded bird than to engage in a solid partnership between two adults.

Brookshire, as Jaxton, is so shamed by his white, male privilege that at one point he begs Logan for a verbal whipping. Torrey Hanson, as the soft-spoken educator, also yearns for attention but is content with the occasional glance and comment that Alicia throws his way. Hannah Shay, as Alicia, is reminiscent of Hollywood starlets of yesteryear, content to get by on their looks.

Sit Back and Laugh

Most of the time, the characters are so over-the-top that audiences can feel free to sit back and laugh at them. All is not perfection, however. The play has its flaws; for one thing, it tends to be “talky.” And much of the dialogue, while entertaining, dissolves into little more than liberal newspeak (which will sound like gibberish to some). The 90-minute play (no intermission) feels as though it runs out of steam about halfway through, despite the cast’s energetic efforts to keep it afloat. It also veers off into tangents that causes the play to lose focus.

Production elements are among The Thanksgiving Play’s strong points. An authentic-looking classroom set (designed by Jason Fassl, who also does the lighting) includes the hideous – if familiar -- green-painted walls and large linoleum tile flooring. Properties guru Jim Guy trims the set to the smallest detail. He also creates some hilariously funny props (no spoilers here). Joseph Cerqua puts the cringeworthy lesson plan ideas to music, while costume designer Misti Bradford produces everything from turkey outfits to rumpled, outdated teacher attire (in the case of Torrey Hanson’s character).

In his opening curtain speech, Milwaukee Chamber Artistic Director Brent Hazelton mentions that one of the company’s goals is to give voice to underserved populations. This play certainly fits the company’s vision, as it skewers traditional notions of a friendly Thanksgiving meal between pilgrims and Native Americans. The harsh reality, as historical researcher Caden points out, is much darker and long-lasting than mainstream America is willing to admit.

The Thanksgiving Play continues through Dec. 19 at Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid-19 test is required for entry. Masks are required. For tickets, visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org, or call 414-291-7800.