DAVIS REPERTORY THEATRE
PREMIERE EVENT
November 13 & 14, 2021
Village Homes Amphitheatre
PROGRAM
Land Acknowledgement/Welcome
“Skywoman Falling,” adapated by Robin Kimmerer
THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by Larissa FastHorse*
Community Reflection/Discussion
Anthony Burris, Truth-telling at Sutter’s Fort
“Reconciliation, a Prayer,” by Joy Harjo
*Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com. Abbreviated version by Oona Hatton.
We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.
Approved by Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.
CAST/CONTRIBUTORS
Opening Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jasmine Washington
Logan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Grace*
Jaxton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lucas Hatton*
Caden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Gerberding
Alicia/Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christina Thomas
Presenter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Burris
*appearing by special arrangement with Actors Equity Association
CREW
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oona Hatton
Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jasmine Washington
Sound Engineer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Preston
DAVIS REPERTORY STAFF
Artistic Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lucas and Oona Hatton
Board Secretary . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire Black Slotton
Consulting Producer .. . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Laurena Kemp
PARTICIPANT BIOS
Anthony Burris holds an M.A. in Native American Studies from UC Davis where he is currently a Ph.D. Candidate. Anthony currently lectures at UC Davis and CSUS. Anthony served as a Mellon Public Scholar in 2020 with a project focused on historical interpretation at State Parks. Anthony holds a governor’s appointment to the California Truth and Healing Council, a human rights commission that examines the relationship between California and Indian Tribes to recommend reparations for victim populations. Anthony is a citizen of Ione Band of Miwok Indians and works with multiple Miwok/Nisenan tribes on cultural preservation projects.
Ryan Gerberding (Caden) Ryan (he/his) is an actor, director, and writer from Rocklin, CA. He studied at University of California, Davis, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Dance. There, he performed in and directed numerous plays and musicals. Ryan is a founding company member and at Placer Repertory Theatre. There, he co-wrote and starred in a solo show, MY JEKYLL AND HYDE, and served as Digital Media Director. He is also a founding member of Red Axe Productions, an independent filmmaking collective, where he wrote and directed several short films. www.ryangerberding.com.
Jennifer Grace (Logan) (she/her; they/them) New York: OUR TOWN (Barrow Street Theatre, 2009 Theatre World Award recipient, (NIKOLAI AND THE OTHERS (Lincoln Center, world premiere); Chicago: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, TIME & THE CONWAYS, BALM IN GILEAD. Film: Kelly & Cal, The Casserole Club (Visionfest 2011 Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance nominee), I See You, Bud (Dec. 2021 release); Television: "Inside Amy Schumer," "Billions," "VEEP," "Chicago P.D.," "The Red Line." UC Davis MFA, 2021
Lucas Hatton (Jaxton, co-Artistic Director) Lucas (he/him) has performed and directed on many regional stages in Chicago and the Bay Area and also appears in several 2K video games. For three years he served as Artistic Director of Chicago’s PlayMakers Laboratory Theatre. Lucas teaches performance studies and social justice at San José State University. He is delighted to have you joining us for Davis Rep's first live event!!!
Christina Dawa Kustmana Thomas (Alicia) Christina (she/her, Northern Paiute, Western Shoshone, Hopi) grew up on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation in Wadsworth, Nevada and is an enrolled member of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. Christina graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelors of Arts in Music. She is a third year PhD student at UC Davis in Native American Studies and earning a Designated Emphasis in Performance and Practice Studies. She is an
Indigenous scholar, vocalist, dancer, language warrior, and cultural activist. Christina’s volunteer work, research, and passion for language/cultural revitalization have earned her several recognitions internationally and nationally. Some awards include: Ford Predoctoral Fellow, Cobell Graduate Research Fellow, American Indian Graduate Center Scholar, Outstanding Graduate Teacher Award, National Humanities Podcasting Fellow, Someone to Know, Mellon Public Scholar, Youth Services/Role Model of the Year Award, Governor’s Points of Lights Award, and Beauty on a Mission award.
Jasmine Washington (Assistant Director, Reader) Jasmine (she/her) is a theatre artist from Sacramento, CA. Some projects she’s been involved with include writing her first play, CALLUS, and acting in shows/ staged readings including THE BLUEST EYE, THE (M)OTHERS, and GRANDPA, IS EVERYTHING BLACK BAD? Jasmine feels incredibly grateful to be a part of this project that uplifts Native American artists and voices and thanks Oona and Davis Repertory Theatre for the opportunity. She would also like to thank her family and friends for their continual support.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Larissa FastHorse’s THANKSGIVING PLAY was one of the most produced shows in the US in the 2019-2020 theatre season, and it would not be surprising if it were equally popular this year. As an unrelenting send up of what FastHorse calls “performative wokeness,” the play creates opportunities for both critique and critical self-reflection at a historical moment when more and more people are becoming invested in understanding systemic inequality. Part of the power of FastHorse’s script is the layered experience it provides for White theatre artists; it becomes very uncomfortable to claim an anti-racist stance while working on (or watching!) a play about imperfect artists doing the same thing. I certainly experienced many “Logan moments” during our production process.
FastHorse is right to lampoon the pitfalls of White allyship; at the same time, we have curated a more expansive event that addressed the contemporary legacy of settler colonialism and included collaboration with indigenous artists, scholars, and activists. To this end, we decided to offer an abbreviated version of the play supplemented with storytelling, poetry, and discussion of local engagement with history. It’s also our goal to provide space for individual and group reflection on the harmful impacts of Thanksgiving—whether we have experienced or perpetuated those harms—and to offer an alternative commemorative experience.
Davis Repertory Theatre’s mission states: “through live performances that challenge systems of power, we create transformative aesthetic experiences that inspire artists and audiences to work towards a more equitable society.” We thank you for joining us for our inaugural event, and we look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship!
Oona
Special Thanks: Wendah Alvarez, Natalia Deeb-Sossa, Joseph Fletcher, Rachel Hartsough, Yvonne Hunter, Beth Rose Middleton, Melissa Moreno, San José State Department of Communication Studies, Danny Tomasello, Village Homes, our families, and the City of Davis!
RESOURCES
Videos and Articles
“The Invention of Thanksgiving” 5 min video from Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, 2018
Philip Deloria, “The Invention of Thanksgiving” The New Yorker, 2019
Lindsay McVay, “Everyone’s history matters: The Wampanoag Indian Thanksgiving story deserves to be known,” Smithsonian Magazine, 2017
John Sanchez, “What Do You Really Know about Native People?” National Communication Association, 2021
Books
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (also available in an edition for young people edited by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese)
Vine Deloria, Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto
Nick Estes, Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance
For Families and Teachers
“Talking to Kids about Thanksgiving,” Indianapolis Public Library
“What is Settler Colonialism?” Learning for Justice
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Resources, Zinn Education Project
“Life on a Native American Reservation,” Medium
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation November Calendar of Events
(not just for November!)