The Thanksgiving Play: A Comprehensive Overview
Finding the complete script of Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play in PDF format is achievable through resources like Course Hero and potentially Eldridge Publishing.
Additionally, Project MUSE offers reviews referencing the script, while online searches reveal versions dated December 15, 2016, available for download.
Origins and Author
Larissa FastHorse penned The Thanksgiving Play, a comedic exploration of representation and cultural appropriation, initially developed and gaining traction around December 15, 2016. The play’s origins stem from FastHorse’s observations and critiques of how Thanksgiving is traditionally portrayed in American educational settings.
Digital versions of the script, often in PDF format, circulate online through platforms like Course Hero, offering access for educational and research purposes. These PDFs, alongside reviews found on Project MUSE, demonstrate the play’s growing presence and impact within theatrical circles; The script’s availability facilitates study and production, furthering its dialogue on sensitive cultural issues.
FastHorse’s work consistently challenges conventional narratives, and The Thanksgiving Play is a prime example of her commitment to provocative and insightful theatre.
Larissa FastHorse: Biographical Background
Larissa FastHorse is a prolific playwright of Lakota and Sicilian-American descent, known for her sharp wit and unflinching examination of Native American representation. Her work frequently tackles issues of cultural appropriation and historical inaccuracies, themes central to The Thanksgiving Play.
The availability of her play’s script in PDF format – found on platforms like Course Hero – has broadened access to her critical commentary. FastHorse’s background informs her unique perspective, allowing her to deconstruct traditional Thanksgiving narratives with insightful precision.
She actively engages with the theatrical community, and her plays are increasingly produced and studied, evidenced by the script’s online presence and critical analysis available through resources like Project MUSE.
Playwright’s Intent and Themes
Larissa FastHorse intentionally crafted The Thanksgiving Play as a satirical exploration of well-intentioned liberal white individuals attempting to create a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play. The script, readily available in PDF format online, reveals her intent to expose the inherent contradictions and problematic nature of such endeavors.
Central themes include the misrepresentation of Native Americans, the complexities of privilege, and the pervasive issue of cultural appropriation. The play’s evolution, from a simple skit to a farcical performance – as documented in reviews – underscores FastHorse’s critique.
The PDF script serves as a powerful tool for understanding her nuanced commentary on educational practices and the performative aspects of allyship.

Plot Summary and Key Scenes
The Thanksgiving Play PDF showcases a comedy where educators attempt a historically sensitive play, evolving into improvisation and farce, revealing uncomfortable truths.
Synopsis of “The Thanksgiving Play”
Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play, readily available as a PDF, centers around a well-intentioned, yet profoundly misguided, high school drama department. They embark on creating a historically accurate Thanksgiving play, aiming to replace stereotypical portrayals of Native Americans.
However, their efforts quickly devolve into a chaotic and hilariously awkward exploration of cultural appropriation, privilege, and the complexities of representation. The play-within-a-play undergoes numerous transformations – from a traditional skit to an improvised performance, and even a farcical scene involving a turkey.
The PDF reveals a narrative that satirizes educational practices and forces audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about Thanksgiving’s historical context and contemporary interpretations.
Scene One: Initial Rehearsal and Song
The opening scene, detailed in the readily available PDF script, immediately establishes the play’s satirical tone. The four characters – Alicia, Caden, Jaxton, and Joan – are dressed in stereotypical Pilgrim costumes, setting the stage for the ensuing deconstruction of Thanksgiving traditions.
Notably, Scene One features a comedic song parodying “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The lyrics, as found within the PDF, focus on gifts “given” by Native Americans, like pumpkins and turkeys, highlighting the problematic and simplified narrative often presented.
This initial rehearsal showcases the characters’ naive enthusiasm and sets in motion their increasingly desperate attempts to create an “authentic” Thanksgiving play.

The Evolution of the Play Within the Play
As detailed in the PDF script, the “play within the play” undergoes a chaotic and revealing transformation throughout The Thanksgiving Play. Initially, it begins as an improvised skit attempting to depict the first Thanksgiving meal, but quickly unravels due to the characters’ lack of understanding and sensitivity.
Project MUSE reviews highlight how the initial attempts – a script reading with unspoken Native lines, then a silent mime – devolve into absurdity. The PDF reveals this culminates in a farcical scene involving suggestive turkey imagery, exposing the characters’ performative allyship.
This evolution satirizes the superficiality of well-intentioned but ultimately misguided efforts at representation.

Characters and Their Roles
The PDF script identifies key characters: Alicia, the director/actress; Caden, the drama teacher; Jaxton, seeking authenticity; and Joan, the school administrator.
These individuals drive the play’s exploration of privilege and representation.
Alicia: The Director and Actress
As revealed within the downloadable PDF script, Alicia embodies a complex role, simultaneously directing and starring in the ill-fated Thanksgiving play. She’s presented as highly invested in creating an authentic and meaningful theatrical experience, yet ironically, her efforts consistently stumble into problematic territory.
The script highlights Alicia’s initial enthusiasm for a historically accurate portrayal, quickly devolving into a series of increasingly absurd and self-aware improvisations. Her character’s journey, as documented in the PDF, showcases a growing discomfort with the inherent challenges of representing Native American history from a privileged perspective, ultimately leading to farcical and revealing moments.
Alicia’s actions, detailed in the script, are central to the play’s satirical critique.
Caden: The Drama Teacher
The PDF script portrays Caden as a well-meaning, yet somewhat naive, drama teacher caught within the escalating chaos of the Thanksgiving play rehearsal. He represents a certain type of liberal educator, eager to embrace inclusivity but lacking the nuanced understanding necessary to navigate sensitive cultural issues effectively.
As the script unfolds, Caden’s attempts to contribute to the play’s development are consistently undermined by his own biases and the absurdity of the situation. He’s depicted as easily flustered and susceptible to Alicia’s directorial whims, often becoming a participant in the play’s increasingly outlandish improvisations.
Caden’s character, as detailed in the PDF, serves as a comedic foil.
Jaxton: The Actor Seeking Authenticity
The PDF script reveals Jaxton as an actor desperately striving for authenticity in his portrayal, ironically contributing to the play’s satirical core. He embodies a performative allyship, obsessively researching Native American culture – often misguidedly – to “properly” embody a Native character, despite not being Native.
Jaxton’s character, as presented in the downloadable script, is driven by a desire to be seen as progressive and sensitive, yet his methods are consistently self-serving and ultimately reinforce the very issues the play critiques. He’s a source of much of the comedic tension.
His earnestness, detailed in the PDF, is consistently undercut by his cluelessness.
Joan: The School Administrator
The PDF script portrays Joan as the well-meaning, yet utterly oblivious, school administrator tasked with overseeing the Thanksgiving play. She represents institutional complicity in perpetuating harmful narratives and a superficial understanding of diversity and inclusion.
Joan’s character, detailed within the script, is primarily concerned with avoiding controversy and maintaining a positive public image for the school, rather than genuinely addressing the problematic history of Thanksgiving.
She embodies bureaucratic indifference, readily approving the play’s premise without critically examining its potential for misrepresentation, as evidenced in the downloadable PDF.

Themes Explored in the Play
The Thanksgiving Play PDF reveals central themes of cultural appropriation, privilege, and the misrepresentation of Native Americans, satirizing educational practices effectively.
Representation and Misrepresentation of Native Americans
The readily available Thanksgiving Play PDF dramatically illustrates the problematic representation – and frequent misrepresentation – of Native Americans within a school play context. FastHorse’s script directly confronts the superficial and often harmful ways Indigenous people are portrayed during Thanksgiving celebrations.

Specifically, the play highlights the characters’ attempts to create an “authentic” Thanksgiving play, ironically revealing their complete lack of understanding and respect for Native American cultures. The initial song, a parody of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” exemplifies this, reducing Native contributions to mere “gifts” like pumpkins and turkeys.
Further, the script’s evolution – from a traditional skit to a mimed performance and ultimately a farcical scene – underscores the impossibility of genuinely representing a culture without lived experience and genuine engagement.
Privilege and Cultural Appropriation
The Thanksgiving Play PDF exposes the dynamics of privilege and cultural appropriation through its characters’ naive attempts to “fix” the play and authentically represent Native American experiences. The script reveals how Alicia, Caden, and Jaxton, despite good intentions, operate from a position of unearned authority.
Their efforts to create a respectful Thanksgiving play are consistently undermined by their lack of understanding and their reliance on stereotypical tropes. Jaxton’s pursuit of “authenticity” – even seeking Native American consultants – is presented as a form of appropriation, highlighting the power imbalance inherent in seeking to represent another culture.
FastHorse skillfully uses the script to demonstrate how well-meaning individuals can perpetuate harm through cultural appropriation, even while believing they are acting in a progressive manner.
Satire of Educational Practices
The Thanksgiving Play PDF sharply satirizes contemporary educational practices, particularly the performative aspects of multiculturalism and diversity initiatives. The script critiques the tendency to address complex historical issues through superficial, theatrical exercises, like a school play about Thanksgiving.
FastHorse mocks the well-intentioned but ultimately misguided efforts of educators like Joan and Caden, who prioritize avoiding offense over genuine engagement with Native American history and perspectives. The play’s escalating absurdity highlights the futility of attempting to sanitize or simplify a fraught historical narrative.
Through the characters’ desperate attempts to create a “woke” Thanksgiving play, the script exposes the limitations of performative allyship and the dangers of prioritizing optics over substance within educational settings.

Dramatic Elements and Style
The Thanksgiving Play PDF showcases comedy, farce, and improvisation, evolving from a skit to a script reading, then mime, and finally, a sex farce.
Comedy and Farce
The play’s comedic structure, evident even within the Thanksgiving Play PDF, rapidly escalates into farce. Initially, attempts to create an authentic Thanksgiving play devolve into absurdity.
The script details a progression from an improvised skit, through a script reading with unspoken Native American lines, to a silent, mimed performance.
Ultimately, it culminates in a surprisingly explicit sex farce, with Alicia’s suggestive offering of a turkey’s “ample breast and moist legs” to Caden. This comedic shift, documented in reviews and the script itself, highlights FastHorse’s satirical intent and willingness to push boundaries.
Improvisation and Meta-theatricality
The Thanksgiving Play PDF reveals a strong emphasis on improvisation, initially manifested in the characters’ attempts to devise a Thanksgiving play. This meta-theatrical element—a play about creating a play—is central to FastHorse’s approach.
The script’s evolution, from an improvised skit to a fully written piece, mirrors the rehearsal process itself. The characters’ struggles with representation and authenticity become a commentary on theatrical conventions.
Furthermore, the play’s self-awareness, evident in its deconstruction of Thanksgiving narratives, positions it as a meta-theatrical exploration of performance and cultural appropriation.
Use of Dialogue and Physical Comedy
Examining the Thanksgiving Play PDF highlights FastHorse’s skillful blend of sharp dialogue and physical comedy. The script showcases witty banter, often exposing the characters’ privileged perspectives and awkward attempts at cultural sensitivity.
The initial rehearsal scene, featuring a song parodying “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” demonstrates the play’s comedic timing and playful approach to a sensitive topic. As the play evolves, physical comedy escalates, exemplified by the described sex farce involving a turkey.
This combination creates a disarming yet critical effect, forcing audiences to confront uncomfortable truths through laughter and absurdity.

Production History and Reception
Reviews, accessible when searching for the Thanksgiving Play PDF, indicate a strong initial reception, with critics analyzing its impactful satire and provocative themes.
Initial Performances and Reviews
Early engagements with Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play, as evidenced by readily available PDF versions of the script online, quickly garnered attention for its daring approach to a sensitive topic. The script itself, often found on platforms like Course Hero, became a subject of study and discussion even before widespread productions.
Project MUSE reviews detail how initial readings and performances involved improvisational elements, evolving from simple skits to more complex, even farcical scenes. These early iterations, documented in script versions circulating as PDFs, showcased the play’s potential to challenge conventional Thanksgiving narratives and spark critical dialogue about representation and cultural appropriation.
The availability of the PDF allowed for widespread access, fueling academic analysis and independent productions, contributing to its growing recognition.
Critical Analysis of the Play’s Impact
The widespread availability of The Thanksgiving Play’s script in PDF format has undeniably fueled its critical reception and impact. Access to the text facilitated academic scrutiny, allowing scholars to dissect FastHorse’s satirical commentary on representation and privilege.
Reviews, as highlighted by Project MUSE, emphasize the play’s meta-theatricality and its ability to expose the problematic nature of well-intentioned but ultimately misguided attempts at cultural sensitivity. The PDF’s circulation enabled educators to incorporate the play into curricula, prompting vital classroom discussions.
Furthermore, the script’s accessibility empowered independent theatre groups to stage productions, amplifying its message and broadening its reach beyond traditional theatrical circuits.

Availability of the Script
The Thanksgiving Play script in PDF format can be located on platforms like Course Hero, and potentially through Eldridge Publishing’s website.
Finding “The Thanksgiving Play” PDF Online
Locating a PDF version of Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play requires exploring several online resources. Course Hero appears to be a primary source, hosting a document dated December 15, 2016, attributed to the playwright herself.
However, access may require a subscription or account creation. Further online searches may yield additional downloadable copies, though verifying authenticity is crucial. Project MUSE, while not directly offering the PDF, references the script in reviews, potentially leading to further avenues for discovery.
Additionally, checking Eldridge Publishing’s website, known for distributing play scripts, could prove fruitful. Remember to respect copyright regulations when accessing and utilizing the script.
Resources for Obtaining the Script (Course Hero, etc.)
Course Hero emerges as a key resource for accessing “The Thanksgiving Play” script in PDF format, currently hosting a version from December 15, 2016, directly linked to Larissa FastHorse. However, users typically require a subscription or uploaded content to gain full access to documents on this platform.
Beyond Course Hero, exploring academic databases and online theatrical script repositories may yield results. While Project MUSE doesn’t offer the PDF directly, its reviews confirm the script’s existence and could point towards other sources.
Checking with university libraries and drama departments is also advisable, as they often maintain script collections.

Related Works and Similar Plays
Pat Cook’s “The First Thanksgiving According to Dwayne” offers a comedic take on the historical event, available from Eldridge Publishing for script access.
“The First Thanksgiving According to Dwayne” by Pat Cook
Pat Cook’s one-act comedy, “The First Thanksgiving According to Dwayne,” presents a distinctly irreverent and humorous retelling of the traditional Thanksgiving narrative. The play, available for download from Eldridge Publishing (http://www.histage.com/playdetails.asp?PID1047), features a storyline where Christopher Columbus supposedly drove his Plymouth onto a rock.
Unlike the meta-theatrical exploration of The Thanksgiving Play, Cook’s work leans into direct comedic exaggeration of historical inaccuracies. While both plays engage with the Thanksgiving story, they do so through vastly different stylistic approaches. Finding a PDF of Cook’s script is straightforward through the publisher’s website, offering a contrasting comedic perspective.
Plays Addressing Similar Themes of Cultural Sensitivity
While a direct PDF link isn’t provided for comparable works, numerous plays explore themes mirroring The Thanksgiving Play’s focus on representation and cultural appropriation. These often involve challenging historical narratives and examining privilege. Searching databases like Playscripts Inc. or Samuel French can reveal relevant titles.
Many contemporary playwrights are actively deconstructing traditional stories, prompting audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about colonization and its lasting impact. Resources detailing plays tackling Native American representation, or those employing meta-theatrical devices, will yield similar thematic explorations, though finding PDFs requires individual searches.


























































































