<\/p>\n
SCRANTON \u2014 Forget everything you learned from your elementary school Thanksgiving pageant.<\/p>\n
This November, Actors Circle invites audiences to pull up a chair for a very different kind of Thanksgiving celebration when \u201cThe Thanksgiving Play,\u201d written by acclaimed Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse, takes the stage at Providence Playhouse, Nov. 13 through 22.<\/p>\n
Directed by Nickie \u201cKylie\u201d Pimental, this biting, brilliantly absurd satire follows four well-meaning theatre artists attempting to create a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving pageant for elementary school students.<\/p>\n
Their intentions are admirable. Their preparation is questionable. And their desperate attempts to do absolutely everything right go spectacularly wrong.<\/p>\n
What begins as an earnest educational project quickly unravels into a hilarious examination of cultural appropriation, performative activism, political correctness, and what happens when people become so concerned with appearing sensitive that they forget to actually listen.<\/p>\n
But beneath the outrageous comedy lies a much bigger question: Who gets to tell a story, and what happens when the people whose history is being told aren\u2019t part of the conversation?<\/p>\n
Written by Larissa FastHorse, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, The Thanksgiving Play made history in 2023 when FastHorse became the first known female Native American playwright to have a work produced on Broadway.<\/p>\n
The play uses laughter as a doorway into conversations about representation, historical narratives, and the sometimes enormous distance between good intentions and meaningful understanding.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, the beauty of this play is that it doesn\u2019t simply point a finger at bad people doing bad things,\u201d said director Nickie \u201cKylie\u201d Pimental, in a news release. \u201cIt asks us to look at good people who genuinely believe they\u2019re doing the right thing. They\u2019re trying so hard not to offend anyone that they completely lose sight of the people they\u2019re supposedly trying to honor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s where it becomes both hysterically funny and deeply uncomfortable. I want audiences to laugh. I want them to laugh hard. But I also hope there\u2019s a moment when they catch themselves thinking about why they\u2019re laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The production features four familiar faces from the Northeast Pennsylvania theatre community:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Becky Bennett Costello as Logan, the enthusiastic teacher and director determined to make a difference.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Jonmichael Brennan as Jaxton, an actor whose progressive ideals are matched only by his dedication to them.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Darren Moore as Caden, a history-loving teacher and aspiring playwright eager to get the facts right.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Maddie Giardina as Alicia, a professional actress whose presence complicates everyone\u2019s carefully constructed plans.<\/p>\n
Together, the four characters stumble through a minefield of competing ideals, historical misconceptions, personal insecurities, and increasingly ridiculous theatrical choices.<\/p>\n
Beyond the Thanksgiving Story<\/p>\n
Actors Circle also hopes the production will encourage audiences to consider the history behind the holiday and the importance of Indigenous perspectives in the stories Americans continue to tell.<\/p>\n
Through its developing Beyond the Thanksgiving Story community conversation initiative, the theatre is exploring ways to extend the experience beyond the stage, connecting theatrical storytelling with historical understanding, cultural awareness, and meaningful dialogue.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheatre gives us an extraordinary opportunity,\u201d Pimental said. \u201cWe can sit in a room together, laugh at something uncomfortable, and maybe walk away a little more curious, a little more informed, and a little more willing to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody needs to leave the theatre feeling guilty about enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. But maybe they\u2019ll leave wanting to learn more about the history they\u2019ve been taught \u2014 and the history they haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Special Night at the Theatre<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Actors Circle will host a special Red Carpet Event, inviting patrons to dress in their best holiday pageantry. Festivities begin at 6 p.m., followed by the performance at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
Whether audiences come for the comedy, the conversation, or simply a night of live theatre, The Thanksgiving Play promises an experience that is entertaining, provocative, and anything but a traditional holiday pageant.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging the Land and Its History<\/p>\n
As part of this production, Actors Circle has prepared a land acknowledgment recognizing that Providence Playhouse stands in the Lackawanna Valley, on the ancestral homelands of Indigenous peoples, including the Munsee Lenape. The acknowledgment recognizes not only the region\u2019s Indigenous history, but also the continued presence, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples today.<\/p>\n
For Actors Circle, this acknowledgment is intended to be more than a ceremonial statement. It represents a starting point for learning, listening, and examining whose histories have been preserved, whose perspectives have been overlooked, and how theatre can help bring those conversations into the present.<\/p>\n
WANT TO GO? <\/p>\n
What: \u201cThe Thanksgiving Play\u201d by Larissa FastHorse, directed by Nickie \u201cKylie\u201d Pimental and presented by Actors Circle at Providence Playhouse. <\/p>\n
When: 7 p.m. Nov. 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21, and 2 p.m. Nov. 15 and 22. <\/p>\n
Where: Providence Playhouse, 1256 Providence Road, Scranton. <\/p>\n
Tickets: $15 general admission; $12 for seniors; and $10 for students. <\/p>\n
Visit www.actorscirclescranton.com or find The Thanksgiving Play on Eventbrite. <\/p>\n
Who: Recommended for audiences ages 14 and older.<\/p>\n
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