#Larissa Fasthorse

[uwmspeccoll]

An Indigenous Thanksgiving

Here's a short list of titles for your holiday reading by three noted Indigenous writers: Kevin Loring (Nlaka'pamux; b. 1974); Tiffany Midge (Hunkpapa Lakota; b. 1965); Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota).

In Loring's play Thanks for Giving (Talonbooks, 2018), a mixed-family Thanksgiving dinner comes face to face with some unsolicited truths and sibling rivalry, where the old ways surrender to new possibilities, but the family's enduring spirit continues forward, ever fierce.

FastHorse's publication presents two of her plays The Thanksgiving Play (2017) and What Would Crazy Horse Do? (2014), published together by Theatre Communications Group in 2021. In The Thanksgiving Play, a group of well-intentioned white teaching artists scramble to create an ambitious "woke" Thanksgiving pageant that also celebrates Native American Heritage Month. Amidst their eagerness to put on the most culturally sensitive show possible, things quickly begin to devolve into the absurd. In What Would Crazy Horse Do?, Calvin and Journey--twins who are the last two members of Marahotah clan -- flounder after their grandfather's passing, and form a suicide pact in case their lives on the reservation become too hopeless.

Midge's Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's (University of Nebraska Press, 2019) is a compelling collection of the author's satirical musings on life, politics, and identity as a Native woman in America. We leave you with a snippet from Midge's Thanksgiving offering, "Hey America, I'm Taking Back Thanksgiving":

Hey America, Well, it's been fun. We've had a good run. But we're done now. No hard feelings -- it's just not working out. It's not you; it's me, okay? Well, actually it is you, but whatevs. . . . Anyway, I'm breaking up with you. . . . You broke me, America. You broke us. . . . I think you know why. . . . I'm taking back Thanksgiving. It was mine to begin with; you were just appropriating it to satisfy your need for some happy-go-lucky fairy tale in the midst of crimes against humanity. . . . No turkey for you. I'm taking it back. . . . No more cranberries, no more stuffing. And that roasted brussels sprouts dish your grandma makes, . . . I'm taking that too. . . . Don't Tweet me, don't message me. We're done. I hope you figure yourself out and someday get your life and your country together. Good luck. . . . P.S. I flirted with Canada behind your back, but they're not working out either, so don't even think of looking for me there. I've moved on.

While Midge has moved on, we haven't quite yet, and we wish you a pleasant Thanksgiving Day.

View posts from Thanksgivings past.

View other posts from our Native American Literature Collection.

[do-you-know-this-play]

[sapphic-bombshell-vixen]

off to see THE THANKSGIVING PLAY with D'Arcy Carden!♥️.

[dailydarcycarden]

Larissa Fasthorse & D'Arcy Carden

[hayleylovesjessica]

Just saw that D’Arcy Carden has joined the cast of one of the plays my partner and I are seeing in NYC in March, The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse. I’m screaming.

[hollylderr]

Larissa FastHorse on Indigenizing Theatre

Originally published by HowlRound on June 6, 2023. Katie Finneran in The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse at Second Stage Theater. Directed by Rachel Chavkin. Scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez. Costume design by Lux Haac. Lighting design by Jeanette Oui-Suk Yew. Sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman. Video/projection design by David Bengali. Photo by Joan Marcus. This year, Larissa FastHorse…

[thatwritererinoriordan]

[wheresmulder]

Yk the thing about The Thanksgiving Play is that it's literally so fucking good that I never even thought to make the meme that's like:

I saw ttp 19 times for the plot

The plot:

Like it never even occurred to me bc the actual plot was so. damn. good. It's literally my favorite play. Larissa Fasthorse I fucking love your brain gdi

If I even THINK about CORN LMAOOO

Let someone mention a fucking BUS around me

THE ESPN MUSIC??? IM GONE

"I AM A VEGAN ALLY"

BYE

[frontmezzjunkies]

Broadway's Very Funny "The Thanksgiving Play" Arrives Possibly Just Past Its Best-By Date

#frontmezzjunkies reviews: #TheThanksgivingPlayBway written by #LarissaFasthorse dir by #RachelChavkin @rachelchavkin w/ #DarcyCarden @DarcyCarden #KatieFinneran #ScottFoley #ChrisSullivan at #HelenHayesTheatre #BroadwayPlay #Broadway @2STNYC #2STNYCBway

Scott Foley and Katie Finneran in Broadway’s THE THANKSGIVING PLAY. Photo by Joan Marcus. The Broadway Theatre Review: The Thanksgiving Play By Ross Truth be told, I am not an American, but a Canadian living in NYC, brought up on the television and film imagery that surrounds the fable that is ‘American Thanksgiving’. It’s a wildly inaccurate formulation, not based on any real history, as we…

[bestmusicalworldcup]

In the latest attempt to rehabilitate an outdated Golden Age musical, the next (non-Equity) national tour of Peter Pan launching next month will feature a newly revised book by Larissa FastHorse.

The new book aims to remove its offensive depiction of Native Americans, revisit the story's treatment of women, and condense the musical from a three-act show to a two-act show.

Notably, Peter Pan will not be played by a woman, as all major productions have done, but by a teenage boy.

[l-cereta]

🌻 people i'd like to know better tag game

tagged by @quendiviner tyyyy

Last Song: D.A.I.S.Y. Age by De La Soul... i was listenin thru the whole album after an exhausting (but fun!) weekend and stopped on the second to last song...

Favourite Color: I hate to say it but I kind of like most colors ... who am I to say a color is bad ... I think generally though you can't go wrong with greens

Last Book Read: If scripts count, Larissa FastHorse's The Thanksgiving Play, which was pretty good! Solid 7.5 or 8/10. In terms of actual books, I've been slowly working through What We Fed to the Manticore by Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, which is this collection of short fables(?) about the environment?

Last Movie: Sat in on my housemates' watch-through of Coco! Good movie!

Last show: Rewatched Station Eleven for the millionth time a few weeks ago. Genuinely one of the best TV shows of all time and also far and away my favorite.

Sweet/savory/spicy: Depends but I'm gonna say savory I could fuck up a burger rn

Relationship status: Single LMAO but we move

Last thing I looked up: Not counting the name of the author of What We Fed to the Manticore, the last thing I looked up was the kilroys list!

Current obsession: I'm kind of not allowing myself to have obsessions rn because I'm so fucking busy BUT i've been in the midst of an Umineko readthrough and oh my godddd yall HAVE to read umineko it's SO FUCKING GOOD OMG i actually cant wait to finish it

Looking forward to: Uh, finishing Umineko, my thesis in acting finishing up, Severance s2, the current One Piece arc, the next time I get high,

tagging @goddamnlethamlet @solarblue @donutsquid @numetaljackdog @clinicallylycanthropic @bongbong @phoebesbridges @foxorrat and uhhhh whoever else wants to

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Crest" (Disney Movie)

Make sure to check out my summary of potential Disney reinvention era films here (which I will edit to better fit my fleshed out posts).

Background: Disney eventually decides to work on a Native American project, wanting to make one that's on the level of modern successes that they've made thus far. Based on a recommendation from Taika Waihiti (who did "Weaver" for Disney), Disney hires Sterlin Harjo to direct the film and co-write it with Jared Bush (juuuuust to have that Disney magic on it and his good track record) and additional story contributions made by Larissa FastHorse. Bush, coming off of the inspired by "Yaksha" and "The Princess and the Frog," decides that this could be another successful film adapting a (kinda) well-known fairy tale in another culture. As such, he eventually comes across the tale of "Mossycoat," and together with the other writers, they eventually come up with idea of the protagonist wearing a large cloak made of feathers of a Stellar's Jay. The film hits a controversial point in production when Disney suggests the tribe in film takes from various tribes in the continent. The film's team instead decides to make the lead characters from various tribes with regional influences: the protagonist's culture and tribe was originally inspired by Great Plains tribes like the Lakota, but was eventually altered to be inspired by Pacific Northwest tribes, specifically the Cree tribe of Canada (though they are spread throughout more than just western Canada), while her love interest's location--and most of the film's location--takes from Southwestern US tribes (at Harjo's suggestion), with particular emphasis on the Pubeloans people. When discovering that American Southwestern tribes have a high incidence of albinism (and recalling a scrapped albino male character in "Khoeli"), they decide to make the male lead albino. Along with this, the team opts for the pageantry of Powwow-inspired regalia for a colorful visual rather than traditional tans and beiges, with the protagonist's tribe having a triad of blue, black, and white, while her love interest's colors are gold, black, and red. It's a pretty easy for them to come to the consensus of making the film 3D, wanting to reach a wide audience about an underrepresented race.

(Note: I wanted to use Stephen Schwartz as the songwriter for the film, but I can imagine a desire for this to be an NA-dominant project, so perhaps an NA songwriter is brought on instead.)

Plot

When Ayamis' father died, he bequeathed her a magical cloak that could transform her into an animal of her choice. Interestingly, it almost always turns her into a Steller's Jay. That same day, when a shaman prophesizes a Stellar's Jay protecting a white fox from a rattlesnake, Ayamis' mother believes this has something to do with her, and sends her off to a the far-off empire of Oyira, where the chief's son is reputed to have skin and hair white as the clouds. She presents herself to the chief, who believes her and entrusts her safety to him, but she finds that the kingdom is threatened by raiders on their way to invade. On top of this, the chief's son does not seem eager to cooperate with Ayamis. This may be a harder journey than she thought...

Characters

Ayamis--Originally named "Chumani," she is the stoic and aloof guardian to Letaiyo. As her father's death occurred shortly before she came to Oyira and her mother rushed her along on a spiritual journey, she hasn't had time to process his death and is quite irritable. She finds that while she would've enjoyed the foreign kingdom otherwise, but her sense of self has been altered, her world having lost color. Often, she'll wear her cloak and transform into a Stellar's Jay when not guarding Letaiyo, as it's the only way she can feel close to her father. She hadn't expected to be caught in potential war, but strangely, she isn't bothered as much as she should be. It's something to take her frustration out on.

Letaiyo--Oriignally named "Naiche," he is the son of Chief Kaisa (technically Kai-Sa), he's an albino and often sheltered due to his condition making him sensitive to sunlight, though his condition is revered among his people, who see him as a "star child" (his official title is "Son of Heaven") an auspicious sign of good fortune and divine presence on Earth. While Ayamis expects him to be docile and shy, he's quite mischievous and playful, not to mention a fast runner, eager to explore and make Ayamis' job harder as a result. Of course, given his condition, where he goes and what he does during the day eventually becomes a pattern for her, much to his chagrin. But he finds himself developing feelings for her, becoming slightly jealous when she interacts with his siblings. As tough as he might act, he's a little sensitive.

Eknath--A warrior who seeks to make an empire of his own. Despite his seemingly ruthless reputation, it surprises everyone that he is a man of morals and order, disapproving of underhanded tactics such as deception and manipulation. It makes Ayamis frustrated that he isn't as cruel as she thought, since she can't take her anger out on him as well as if he had no honor. However, his team is not completed united in his direct way of fighting, with a small group wanting to capture Letaiyo, either to make Kaisa surrender or as a bargaining chip to spare them if they expose Eknath's hideout.

Songs

Take Flight--Ayamis' father dies from sickness, and she and her mother grieve terribly. But soon after, a sham prophesizes a vision that Ayamis' mother takes to believe is about her daughter, and sends her to venture to find out the meaning until she comes to the Kingdom of Oyira.

Son of Heaven--Ayamis explains the prophecy to Chief Kaisa, who believes it has to do with one of his children. Informing her that raiders plan to attack the kingdom soon, he asks her to not only guard his son, but participate in possible war.

Messenger Dance--Ayamis gets to know the people of Oyira, including Letaiyo's various siblings, who are both protective of him and annoyed by his reckless behavior. In between training for the war, Ayamis must also learn about her sneaky charge.

Meet me at Night--Having spent more time understanding each other, Letaiyo asks Ayamis to meet him outside of town when the night falls, and he can explore more without the concern of burning. In the night, they start to realize their feelings for each other, and Letaiyo admits vulnerability at seeing Ayamis as being powerful and beautiful while he was simply a delicate doll.

Love Lost--Eknath and Ayamis consider what drives him; Eknath believes Oyira is his kingdom to rule and has lost his sons in his years of conquest. Ayamis wonders if she's truly ready for war, and if she was too eager to participate rather than find a way to stop it.

The Conqueror--The war is almost upon Oyira, and with Letaiyo as a prisoner, Ayamis must find a way to sew the seeds of discourse in Eknath's group to divide and conquer them.

Hope you enjoyed this idea! "Verdant" isn't one I've fleshed out as much, so it may take me slightly longer to post it.

[aliveandfullofjoy]

And: top 5 plays of the last 10 years.

oh boy!

again, listed alphabetically (with the caveat that i have so, so, so many blindspots):

choir boy (tarell alvin mccraney) — sort of cheating with this one since it premiered in 2012, but mccraney is just. such a beautifully singular voice.

the christians (lucas hnath) — came into my life at exactly the right time. absolutely love this play, especially because of how deeply uncomfortable it makes me.

heroes of the fourth turning (will arbery) — absolutely fucking haunting in the best way. captures the nauseating feeling of living in the late 2010s so perfectly.

indecent (paula vogel) — this play has just lived under my skin for years. gorgeous interweaving of time and place and artifice and reality.

sweat (lynn nottage) — just airtight storytelling. a grueling, gorgeous distillation of american life.

2020: a going away party play (keyanna khatiblou) — listing as a bonus because i honestly don’t even know if it’s officially been produced yet, but this play still feels like a warm hug. i think it’s magnificent.

honorable mentions: the thanksgiving play (larissa fasthorse); reykjavik (steve yockey); singles in agriculture (abby rosebrock); hot asian doctor husband (leah nanako winkler); lungs (duncan macmillan); the flick (annie baker); the humans (stephen karam)

or something like that!

(i feel like i’m forgetting something???)

[moniquill]

https://forward.com/culture/539242/rachel-chavkin-larissa-fasthorse-broadway-director-the-thanksgiving-play-jewish-native-american/

[dailydarcycarden]

The Thanksgiving Play

[7central]

I do NOT wanna see D'arcy Carden fans going to see the thanksgiving play and then completely ignoring the actual show when they post about it just bc they like D'arcy Carden. we are not doing this folks, fucking talk about the goddamn themes of Larissa Fasthorse's work or else