The Thanksgiving Play
Written by Larissa Fasthorse
Directed by Rachel Chavkin
The Helen Hayes Theater
May 26, 2023
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

What this play sets out to do and what it accomplishes are two very different things. The play itself focuses on four very white individuals who work to create a politically correct “First Thanksgiving” play for Native American Heritage Month to be performed in various elementary schools. They hire a Native American actor, but later find out she is white and only plays ethnic on demand. The play then goes on to explore themes of historical accuracy and privilege. The playwright, a native American herself, sheds some light on the misrepresentation of Native Americans and the lack of indigenous casting.