Shaker Bridge Theatre opens 17th season with ‘The Thanksgiving Play’

Thursday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m. ‚—WHITE RIVER JUNCTION—Shaker Bridge Theatre will open its 17th season with The Thanksgiving Play at the Briggs Opera House, 5 So. Main St., White River Junction. The production will run from Sept. 26 through Oct.13. The play, written by Larissa FastHorse, presents a satirical take on modern-day political correctness as a group of well-meaning teaching artists attempt to stage an elementary school pageant that honors both Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month without causing offense. The result is a comedic exploration of the challenges and missteps of “woke” culture.

The cast of The Thanksgiving Play features Shaker Bridge Theatre alumni. Amy Hutchins, who portrays Logan, returns for her sixth season with the theatre. She has previously appeared in Ironbound, Taking Steps, Outside Mullingar, Constellations, and How the World Began, as well as in other productions across theaters like New York Classical Theatre, ACT of CT, and Florida Rep.

Michael Stewart Allen, playing Jaxton, returns for his fifth performance at Shaker Bridge. His past roles include productions of The Book of Will, The Lehman Trilogy, and Macbeth. Lauren Woyasz, who plays Alicia, also returns for her fifth season with the company. Woyasz has been seen on Broadway in Wicked and For The Girls and Off-Broadway in productions like Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas and The Marvelous Wonderettes.

Scott Sweatt, cast as Caden, appeared in Shaker Bridge’s production of The Minutes last season. His previous credits include performances in Little Shop of Horrors and Clue at New London Barn Playhouse, and The Cherry Orchard at Classic Stage.

The production will be directed by Shaker Bridge Theatre founder Bill Coons, who has directed numerous plays in the company’s 17-year history. Coons describes FastHorse’s work as a satire that “skewers liberal pretensions with glee.”

The creative team for The Thanksgiving Play includes Production Stage Manager Clif Rogers, Set Designer Craig Mowery, Costume Designer Martie Betts, and Lighting Designers Brian Kenyon and Clif Rogers.

Larissa FastHorse, the playwright, is a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation and a 2020 MacArthur Fellow. She is the co-founder of Indigenous Direction, a consulting firm for Indigenous arts and audiences. The Thanksgiving Play is one of the top ten most produced plays in America this season, marking FastHorse as the first Native American playwright to achieve this distinction. Her other works include What Would Crazy Horse Do?, Landless and Cow Pie Bingo, and Vanishing Point.

Tickets for The Thanksgiving Play are available on the Shaker Bridge Theatre website or by contacting the box office at 802-281-6848.