The Thanksgiving Play

Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) is a 2020 MacArthur Fellow, award winning writer/choreographer, and co-founder of Indigenous Direction, the nation’s leading consulting company for Indigenous arts and audiences. Larissa will be represented across the country in the 2023-2024 season with a revised book of the beloved Jerome Robbins Broadway musical, Peter Pan. She made her Broadway debut in the 2022-2023 season with her satirical comedy, The Thanksgiving Play making her the first known female, Native playwright to be produced on Broadway (second only to the great Lynne Riggs in the 1930s). The Thanksgiving Play has been one of the top ten most produced plays in America for the last two seasons. She is the first Native American playwright in the history of American theater on that list. Larissa is also one of the top twenty most produced playwrights of last season. Additional produced plays include For The People, The Democracy Project, What Would Crazy Horse Do?, Landless and Cow Pie Bingo, Average Family, Teaching Disco Squaredancing to Our Elders: a Class Presentation, Vanishing Point and Cherokee Family Reunion. In the Fall of 2023, Larissa is a professor of practice (literature) at Arizona State University’s Department of English.

Visit her official website HOGANHORSE STUDIO to learn more.

Originally a private residence, built in 1911, its site has since been the home of motion picture cinemas (beginning with “The Victory”, in 1919) and live theatres (starting in 1993, when it was renovated and renamed “The New Yorker Theatre”). It was completely rebuilt in 2005 (only its facade remains) into an intimate 700-seat state-of-the-art live theatre and concert venue. It was purchased by Mirvish Productions in 2008, and renamed on December 1, 2018 as part of a new partnership with CAA.  

The CAA Theatre is located at 651 Yonge Street, just south of Bloor, in the heart of downtown Toronto.

More information about directions, parking, accessibility, building facilities and amenities and seating maps is available on the VISIT section of our website.

1. How does The Thanksgiving Play challenge traditional narratives about Thanksgiving? How can this play serve as a starting point for discussions about cultural representation and the teaching of Indigenous history in your classroom? 
   
   
2. The Thanksgiving Play uses satire to address stereotypes and misconceptions about Native Americans. How can satire be an effective tool for critical thinking and discussions around sensitive topics? How might you use satire in your own teaching to address complex issues? 

The role of the teacher 

3. The teacher characters in The Thanksgiving Play are grappling with their roles and responsibilities as educators. How does the play reflect on the challenges of teaching about cultures that are not one's own? What strategies could you implement to ensure a more inclusive and accurate portrayal of Indigenous histories and cultures in your classroom?
   
   
4. The Thanksgiving Play touches on the difficulties teachers face in engaging students with challenging or controversial topics. What methods do you use to engage students in discussions about historical events with complex legacies? How might you use The Thanksgiving Play as a teaching tool to facilitate these discussions?
    
5. The characters in The Thanksgiving Play struggle with collaboration and dialogue as they try to create a play that is culturally sensitive. How do you foster collaboration and open dialogue among your students when discussing difficult topics? How can you model these skills in your own teaching? 

Inclusion and representation 

6. The characters in The Thanksgiving Play often display performative allyship, where they outwardly show support for a cause without truly understanding or engaging with it. How does the play highlight the pitfalls of performative allyship? What steps can you take to move beyond performative gestures to genuine support and understanding in your teaching practices? 
   
   
7. The Thanksgiving Play features educators who are trying to design a politically correct school play about Thanksgiving. What challenges do you face when designing inclusive and accurate curriculum content? How can this play inform your approach to creating lessons that respect and honor diverse perspectives? 
   
   
8. After watching or reading The Thanksgiving Play, what changes would you consider making to your current teaching practices or curriculum regarding Indigenous history and culture? How can you encourage your students to critically reflect on what they are taught about Thanksgiving and other historical events? What resources does your school or school board offer to support you?

Analyzing The Thanksgiving Play in the classroom offers teachers an opportunity to engage students in meaningful discussions about cultural sensitivity, representation, and the ethics of storytelling. The play's themes align with the Ontario Curriculum's emphasis on developing critical thinking skills, cultural awareness, and understanding of Indigenous perspectives across various subjects: 

+ History (Grades 7-8)
     ○ Grade 8: Canada, 1890–1914: A Changing Society

+ English Language Arts (Grades 9-12)

+ Drama (Grades 7-12)

+ Canadian and World Studies (Grades 9-12)

+ Indigenous Studies (Grades 9-12)
    ○ Contemporary Indigenous Issues and Perspectives

+ Social Sciences and Humanities (Grades 11-12)

+ Media Studies (Grades 11-12)

+ Equity and Inclusive Education (All Grades)
    ○ Addressing Bias and Stereotypes

1. How does the play’s setting in a high school classroom contribute to the play's themes?

2. How does The Thanksgiving Play explore the tension between historical accuracy and cultural authencity – and the challenges of addressing complex historical and cultural issues in educational settings?

3. Consider the significance of setting the play during both Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month. (In Canada, these might correlate with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, National Indigenous Peoples Day, and National Indigenous History Month.) How does this juxtaposition contribute to the play's themes?

4. How does Alicia's revelation that she is not Native American impact the group dynamics and the play's themes?

5. How does Logan’s desperation to save her job influence her decisions throughout the play?

6. How do the characters embody the concept of "performative wokeness" as portrayed in the play? How does FastHorse illustrate this concept through the characters' actions and dialogue?

7. How does The Thanksgiving Play critique well-intentioned but misguided attempts at cultural sensitivity?

8. Reflect on the use of meta-theatrical elements in the play. How does the characters' attempt to create a play within the play contribute to the overall message?

9. What role do the interstitial videos featuring students’ Thanksgiving pageant performances play in the overall structure and message of the work?

10. How does the play critique the traditional Thanksgiving narrative and challenge common perceptions of this holiday?

11. How does FastHorse employ satire and humour to address serious issues of cultural misrepresentation?

12. How might FastHorse's decision to write a play with an all-white cast reflect and relate to her experiences (and by extension those of other Indigenous playwrights) in the theatre industry?

13. Does the play's ending offer any resolution to the issues raised, or does it leave questions unanswered? What might you infer about the wider implications of this conclusion?

14. What is the play saying about white privilege and its impact on education and cultural narratives, in your opinion?

15. How does the play highlight the ongoing misrepresentation and erasure of Indigenous perspectives in North American society?

Have you ever felt embarrassed or apologetic for using the wrong pronoun? What is the correct way to refer to the original peoples of North America? Do you remember previously used cultural terms that would now be a big “oops”? And the rules keep changing depending on where you are and who you’re with. Imagine being a teacher in Florida! But I think teachers everywhere can identify with aspects of this, and so can we all.  

The Thanksgiving Play takes a hilarious look at 4 artistic educators trying to do the right thing in the right way with all the best intentions and goals. What could possibly go wrong? 

As a director, I ask a lot of questions: about the play, about the characters, and how the actors interpret all of it. And how to communicate to an audience. After all, the audience is why we do this, and we want you to have fun. 

If you’re a teacher, you’re probably doing the same thing: questioning. 

• What is age appropriate?
• What are the cultural considerations given the makeup of the class?
• What is off-limits?
• What is historically accurate?
• What are my students learning?

The Thanksgiving Play grapples with all these concerns and gives you a way to laugh while trying to do the right thing. 4 adorable characters keep trying despite their concerns and limitations. Only the audience can decide if they succeed in their aspirations. Laughter is the best medicine, and we hope you can laugh with us as we laugh at ourselves.

Vinetta Strombergs (Director) has directed everything from Shakespeare to musicals to original Canadian plays. Her directing credits include many regional theatres, summer theatres and local stages large and small.  For many years she helped develop First Nations writers and actors through working with Debajehmujig Theatre on Manitoulin Island and Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto.  She has directed many plays by Ojibway writer Drew Hayden Taylor and Cree writer Kenneth Williams.  Her production of 60 Below for Native Earth garnered 7 Dora Nominations.  She has taught and directed at almost every post-secondary theatre training program in Ontario helping to prepare the next generation of theatre professionals.   

The Role of the Audience

What is the role of Audience? How does your participation contribute to the experience of the show, for the actors and your fellow audience members? 

Please take time to review Mirvish Guide To Attending The Theatre with your student group prior to your theatre visit. It includes some helpful tips and basic “Dos & Don’ts” to assist you in preparing everyone for what to expect, and what is expected of them.

Additional resources are available to help you build a bridge between your experience of the show and your own classroom. Visit the Resources page to explore what is available for The Thanksgiving Play.

Looking to build more into your field trip? A variety of enrichment experiences are available to choose from, including Q&As, guided historic theatre tours, workshops and performance group opportunities. Contact our Education Manager at educationandengagement@mirvish.com to learn more. Subject to availability; additional costs and restrictions apply.

Special thanks to our Mirvish Education Consultant, Arpita Ghosal (PhD OCT, Founder and Editor of Sesayarts Magazine).

Our team of Audience Services Representatives is ready to book your student group order!

By Phone: 1.800.461.3333

In Person:
322 King Street West, Suite 325
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5V 1J2

Visit our website for more information related to Schools & Education.