Larissa FastHorse’s play, previously on Broadway, is set at an elementary school where a teacher tries and fails to do the right thing.
After a significant spell in the doldrums, it is becoming clear that Steppenwolf Theatre is in a major upswing.
But thanks to director Jess McLeod, who gets the tone just right, and a fabulous, take-no-prisoners lead performance from Audrey Francis , this is a vastly better Chicago staging. It’s a reminder of why so many of us believe that when Steppenwolf leans into its justly admired brand, and when it imparts a deeper level of truth than other theaters typically manage, even on Broadway, it will thrive.
Specifically, here, the target is an elementary school pageant set for Thanksgiving Day. A teacher, Logan , savvy when it comes to appealing to funders, and her colleague Jaxton are working on a politically correct Thanksgiving play, maybe one that reflects much of the violence against native people that is endemic to the circumstance around the holiday.
These are not easy roles to play, given that if the performers lean into the stereotyping, all of the comedy dies fast, as it did on Broadway. But Francis and the equally excellent Nozicka have found some of the sympathetic center of their characters. Better yet, McLeod drives the show forward towards its central unachievable goal, allowing these mostly pathetic characters to least the chance to impress an audience with their fortitude.
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