first broadway play by native american woman comes to boise contemporary theater
By: A.A. Cristi Nov. 07, 2023
Last Spring with The Thanksgiving Play, Larissa FastHorse became the first female Native American playwright produced on Broadway. This Holiday season, Boise Contemporary Theater (BCT) will serve up her satire with previews starting Wednesday, November 29, and shows continuing through closing on Saturday, December 16, 2023.
In The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse, a boat-rocking high school drama teacher faces a petition for termination in this hilarious satiric jab at political correctness, social wokeness, and cultural assumptions. She’s hired an elementary school teacher, a professional actress, and her yoga instructor/boyfriend to devise a culturally sensitive play about the first Thanksgiving. Or Native American Heritage Month. Or just November. Punctuated by offensive (and 100% real) Thanksgiving songs, this satire serves up the funny!
Producing Artistic Director Benjamin Burdick added, “We are incredibly excited to bring this daring and hilarious play to BCT and the Boise community. In the hands of the amazing director, cast, and crew, this is a play that audiences will not soon forget. And I can’t think of a better way to kick off the holiday season.”
The Thanksgiving Play
Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes
Cast List:
Logan – Jaime Nebeker
Jaxton – Jon Patrick O’Brien
Alicia – Claire Blackwelder*
Caden – Nick Jordan*
Creative Team:
Director – Jennifer Pennington
Stage Manager – Rachel Kaufman*
Asst. Stage Manager – Kelly Jean Edwards
Costume Designer – Darrin Pufall Purdy
Scenic Designer – Sam Flynn
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician, Light Board Op – Akincana Webb
Sound Designer – Peter John Still
Sound Engineer & Board Op – Brayden Buckley
Props Artisan & Scenic Painter – Lily Kennedy
Carpenters – Duane Brensinger and Nicholas Jules Hewitt
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Previews: 7 PM Wednesday, November 29 & Thursday, November 30, 8 PM Friday, December 1
Pay What You Want Night: First preview, 7 PM Wednesday, November 29. No online sales: pay what you want at the door. Accepting cash and cards, but there’s a $3.00 fee per card transaction.
Opening Night: 8 PM Saturday, December 2
Educators’ Night: 7 PM Wednesday, Dec 6. Any school district employee with a valid school I.D. may buy one ticket for $20 by going through our box office and showing their school I.D. at the door. (Not just for teachers, but any school district employee with a school I.D.).
First Thursday Happy Hour: 5:30-6:30 PM, Thursday, December 7. Only at our box office during this happy hour event, get $20 tickets to this play’s previews and 20% off tickets to any performance of this play (excluding opening and closing night). Art by Boise local Stephen Aifegha will be on display in our lobby to enjoy over tap beers and cider from Esto Indie, wines generously provided by Hayden Beverage, coffee from Dawson Taylor, and treats from The Chocolat Bar, City Peanut Shop, and Blue Hen Cookies.
Closing Night: 8 PM Saturday, December 16
Performances run Wednesday through Saturday for three weeks, November 29-December 16, 2023. More information and performance times are available at Click Here.
Tickets: $32 to $45, plus tax and fees. Previews: $28, Students: $15, Military 20% off with code MILITARY20. Available online at https://bctheater.ludus.com/ or by calling the BCT box office at 208-331-9224.
For more information, please visit:
Playwright Larissa FastHorse: https://www.hoganhorsestudio.com/about-larissa
Artist Stephen Aifegha: https://www.saatchiart.com/highfairgaaarts
First Thursday Happy Hour Event: https://bctheater.org/first-thursday-happy-hour-event/
Boise Contemporary Theater (BCT) is a professional nonprofit theater company in Boise, Idaho, whose mission is to inspire our community to examine our perspectives and better understand ourselves, each other, and the world around us by creating thought-provoking stories of the human experience. Founded in 1997, BCT is the only nonprofit professional theater within 300 miles dedicated to producing challenging new work. BCT is a recipient of the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, a two-time recipient of the National Theater Company Award from the American Theater Wing, and the 2022-23 City of Boise Cultural Ambassador. Currently, in its 26th season, BCT has presented over 90 mainstage productions, including over 25 world premieres such as Eric Coble‘s The Velocity of Autumn (which continued to Broadway).