The Thanksgiving Play

See it if interested in a sincerely laugh-out-loud funny and satirical exploration of cultural sensitivities in modern society

Don't see it if you don't enjoy satire/comedies or you're fundamentally opposed to the idea promoting a diverse representation of voices

See it if you believe in fantastic play-writing and shining a light on racial equity, understanding erasure, and want one hell of a good laugh!

Don't see it if you're triggered by conversations around white privilege, or are unwilling to laugh about absurd truths.

See it if You enjoy goofy comedy and lampooning white people.

Don't see it if You can’t handle a broader style of comedy and acting

See it if You love smart funny and sly plays that have important things to say and leave you thinking. I want to see more from this playwright.

Don't see it if If you hate political correctness. I found the characters bumbling PC efforts both endearing and educational. Respect.

See it if you have questioned whether the 'pc' movement has made any improvements and how it affects our world.

Don't see it if you can't stand a little blood.

See it if A sharply-written spoof about an elementary school theater teacher trying to prepare a 45-min play for Thanksgiving

Don't see it if The serious target - in trying to be hyper-politically correct and respectful of Native Americans, it's impossible to say anything.

See it if you enjoy theatre that deals with communicating about ethnic and cultural sensitivities, all the while keeping you laughing throughout.

Don't see it if you're easily offended or believe the Thanksgiving story we've been told as kids is gospel.

See it if Leaving PC behavior for a moment , this is a very funny play. Sit back and enjoy the over the top action.

Don't see it if If you prefer dramas or musicals.

See it if a satiric look at both elementary school plays and political correctness and woke cultural awareness

Don't see it if much of the humor revolves around being white and empowered & around cliches of gluten free, kale based woke attitudes.

See it if Very funny story of 4 white people trying to do a “woke” version of the play for kids. Performers were excellent.

Don't see it if Cliches about overly PC people and actors. Many cheap shots. Worst of all, the PH is kept at freezing temperatures. Complaints don’t help.

Also I have complained about the temperature of the theater the last 3 times I’ve been there. Each time I was ignored. I shouldn’t have to wear a coat and scarf throughout an entire play. Everyone was talking about it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to laugh (and laugh you will) at the oftentimes absurdness of being too politically correct.

Don't see it if you believe the Pilgrims and Native Americans feasted on the 4th Thursday in November.

See it if you enjoy poking fun at political correctness run amok.

Don't see it if you're looking for anything deep. It raises interesting questions but doesn't really come to any real conclusions.

See it if You're ready to laugh at the efforts artsy liberals make to be crowned "the most woke"

Don't see it if You dislike theatre in-jokes.

See it if you can handle a scathing and smart takedown of your best intentions; sometimes you like plays against the grain

Don't see it if you support minority voices only if they congratulate you for it; expect a reassuring pat on the back for your interest in Native Americans

Also More like a 2x4 to the face. In the vein of Playwrights Horizons’ recent comedies like Mankind and Log Cabin, it’s articulate and insightful if you can survive the relentless intellectualizing and lampooning. Fasthorse’ blunt satire will rub some people the wrong way, but I really like how this playwright thinks (about representation, education, privilege, the point of theater) and how unapologetic the play is. There's no reason this play needs to be subtle. Also made me wonder how we learn anything at all as kids.

The main problem (creating a socially conscious Thanksgiving show for children) unfolds & resolves brilliantly. Moves quickly but can still spend less time fooling around taking potshots at innocuous stuff (veganism, yoga, stoner voice…).

*semi spoiIer* I disagree w/ some reviews suggesting TTP is anti-political correctness. It's anti-self-delusion. That the characters are fluent in political correctness can't hide the fact that they don’t care enough to change anything.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy broad humor, w/stereotyped chars (dumb actress, woke loser guy, woke uptight gal, nerdy wannabe writer). NA atrocities highlighted

Don't see it if you dislike PC attitudes being lampooned. Shn't whites try to be understanding of NAs? Shn't kids be taught real story, instead of no story?

Also I was won over by TTP. It is clever and often funny. And it has a lot of bite, especially when it highlights atrocities against NAs (some of them recent).... Read more Read less

See it if you would like a comedy about a serious matter.

Don't see it if you are sensitive about being politically correct, or if you insist serious matters can be addressed only through drama.

Also Lots of inside jokes for actors, directors and playwrights. The line about a dramaturg got a big laugh. The lady next to me asked: "What's a "dramaturk"?... Read more Read less

See it if you would like to attend the first NYC production of a smart, uneven play by a young indigenous playwright.

Don't see it if you are expecting some indigenous actors in a play called "The Thanksgiving Play;" there are none.

Also There are a lot of laughs in "The Thanksgiving Play." Many of the best ones are at the absurdity of the rhetoric of well-meaning white people (guilty!) who champion diversity & see themselves as engaged in dismantling the systems of privilege they enjoy. The spine of the play is a series of scenes of 4 white characters laboring to "devise" a Thanksgiving play for grade-school kids. These scenes are separated by costumed musical numbers with puppets & aimed directly at the kiddies; I didn't find the writing here as sharp. The ending served the purpose of drawing a circle around the absence of indigenous people on the stage. It succeeded in making me miss their presence, but could not replace the loss for this piece. I am hoping that the next Larissa FastHorse play produced in NYC is as consistently acute, provocative & generous as her stern but lovely note in the program. And I hope it has terrific roles for a lot of indigenous actors.... Read more Read less

See it if You like and understand rather unsubtle satire with a serious message behind it. The acting is good but the message is a bit overlong.

Don't see it if You don't like satire and are intolerant of humor to contain a hidden message

See it if You enjoy slight plays with charming comic performances.

Don't see it if You are looking for some there there in a play.

Also I was hoping to hear a fresh, new voice satirizing the political correctness of putting together a Thanksgiving grammar school but this play feels pointless.... Read more Read less

See it if you like farces, satires of the theater world, good acting, some witty dialog and extreme silliness.

Don't see it if you favor subtlety in dialog, acting, character development and dislike slapstick comedy that is not consistently funny.

See it if you enjoy the 12:50am sketch on SNL, clever staging and props, want to laugh at NPR-type liberal white people.

Don't see it if you want sharp or insightful humor, you dislike superficial caricatures and very broad acting, want a sharp political satire.

Also I had high hopes for this piece and was looking forward to a satire of the "holiday" play, staged by a wonderfully inventive and intelligent director. Unfortunately this play feels like an overwritten seven-minute sketch comedy piece, lacking any depth and character arc. Von Stuelpnagel does what he can with some inventive staging and very fun prop gags, but the writing, casting and performances are wildly uneven and at times even veer into sitcom-like fake crying. It starts with ultra-broad sketch level elements, then asks us to be truly concerned about a theater teacher's artistic voice being harnessed by parents and a school board (a driving plot device that is never followed through on). There are laughs - usually the interstitial moments between scenes - but the main action of the play can't sustain the short 90 minute length. In the end this feels like the writer's spec script to join the writing staff of SNL or a sitcom.... Read more Read less

See it if If you want to see a SNL type play that goes on much too long

Don't see it if you have no patience for satire of PC thoughts

Also Unfortunately, a good idea that would make a good 15 minutes play is stretched out to 90 minutes.... Read more Read less

See it if WANT TO SEE PLAY BY THE NATIVE AMERICAN WRITER (PLAY IS NOT BAD, SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TOO POLITICALY CORRECT)

Don't see it if You still naive enough and expect to see the satire on our society and it's constant attempts to kiss someone's a...and to satisfy all

Also This is the first time when I can not express my opinion and to cleary say"go" or "do not go." The idea about time to stop appologizing, because certain people alredy taking everything for granted -brave; sometimes funny dialogs- yes; and uncertain ending which cleary tells that society reached point where unstopabale appologies and attempts to satisfy one group of people ahead of others- do more harm then good. Play was called "comedy", but it' up to viewers to made the choice and to call that play "success" or "disaster"... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy silly farces on timely topics, such as putting on an elementary school Thanksgiving play.

Don't see it if you want to see a tightly written, funny show.

Also Four people sitting in back of me, in the theater, laughted hysterically during the entire 90 minutes - even when nothing amusing was happening on stage.
This was a real turn-off and very annoying.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of comedies. You particularly enjoy comedies which pillory "people like us".

Don't see it if You prefer to have your funny bone tickled with a feather rather than a sledgehammer, and like your funny very funny.