When Belmont performer Marisa Diamond saw the opportunity to audition for “The Thanksgiving Play” — a comedy written by Indigenous playwright Larissa FastHorse — she jumped at the chance.
Diamond, who has performed as an acrobat and actress, said she loves sharing the joy and passion she feels onstage.
“If I can give that to the audience just a little bit, I’m so excited.,” she said.
She said she was drawn to the play, produced by Moonbox Productions, “specifically because Tara [Moses] was the director, and her vision was to have a cast of people of color in this show that is traditionally all white actors.”
“The Thanksgiving Play” is a satire exploring themes of colonization and accountability through the story of four white performers coming together to construct a politically correct Thanksgiving pageant.
Amplifying the Vision
Moonbox Productions’ rendition of the play is led by the first Indigenous director of the play in its history, Tara Moses.
Growing up in Oklahoma, Moses became involved in theater at age 8, and found a sense of community and belonging in theater she continues to cherish.
“What’s wild is that it took until I was 23 years old to ever see myself represented onstage,” she said.
Then, in 2017, there was a surge in Native theater productions across the country, said Moses.
“I’ve directed many of these productions, [and] many of these productions, I’ve also written,” Moses said. “I’ve been in a relationship with this huge, diverse, robust community of Native artists.”
When “The Thanksgiving Play” premiered on Broadway, Moses dreamed of how she would portray the story.
“Even after watching the Broadway production and celebrating Larissa as the first Native woman playwright on Broadway, I was like, ‘You know, if I was ever asked to direct this play, I would approach it very differently, mainly because I feel like I have a responsibility to,’” she said.
As she prepared to direct the play for Moonbox Productions, Moses combed through the script, re-imagining how the lines could take on new meanings when delivered by non-white actors.
“We’re not just flipping the script, but really examining: what does it actually mean to have Native people and actors of color portray these roles, fully leaning into that satire of it?” she said.
“You know, I think we’re trying to give the show new life, almost,” said Diamond, who plays a character named Alicia.
“[Alicia] is naive in the best ways — it’s a blast for me,” she added.
Opening Up Conversation
“Larissa FastHorse is a brilliant playwright in that she utilizes humor to get people to let their guards down,” said Moses.
“This play brings up unsettling truths. You might be challenged,” she added. “This may be jarring. This will be funny. But we plan to take care of the audience before folks leave the theater.”
Following performances, Moonbox’s Production Manager Kailey Bennett will facilitate conversations for audience members to process the play’s subject matter.
“It is a comedy, so come ready to laugh,” said Diamond. “But also be prepared to think and to confront some of the ideas you may already have about Thanksgiving, about Native American relations in this country, about Indigenous culture and Indigenous peoples in a wider sense as well.”
Inspiring Community
Diamond said she experienced a deep sense of community during her time working on the play.
“As an Indigenous person myself, it has been an incredible experience to get to work with a Native director. And one of the other actors is also Native American, and that has been really, really special,” said Diamond.
“After rehearsal, one day, I came home, and I cried because I felt in community in a way that I hadn’t felt before — just the acknowledgment and celebration of who we are,” she said.
Moses said she is also excited to work with this particular group.
“This cast is so funny, they are so silly, and they are so tightly knit. Their ensemble chemistry is so good,” she said. “They build off of each other. They’re all having a great time and all deeply committed to why we’re doing this work in this way.”
Dreaming of the Future
When asked about her dreams for the future, Moses said, “My number one hope and dream is that we’re no longer talking about the first Native productions a theater has done, but instead, one of the many that they have done across the country.”
“My other hope and dream is that I am not the only Native person with an MFA in directing as I currently am, but instead, I am one of many,” she added.
It’s also important that Native artists are hired in a variety of roles, said Moses.
“So in your Into the Woods productions, we have Native people in them; in your Shakespeare productions, we have Native people in them. And [they are] being led by Native people … that Native artists being seen fully as artists, not just as Native people.”
Diamond said she plans to continue auditioning for film and theater productions in the Boston area after working at the Hamilton Arts Festival in New Zealand for a few months.
“If people are talking about the show, we’ve done something right,” she said.
The Thanksgiving Play will run until Dec. 15 at Arrow Street Arts in Cambridge, and tickets can be purchased at arrowstarts.org/thanksgiving.