Tag Archives: Straight White Men

Nov 29

Don’t Trust Colonizers’ Stories: “The Thanksgiving Play”

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Ohad Ashkenazi, Jasmine Rochelle Goodspeed, Marisa Diamond* and Johnny Gordon; Photograph: Sharman Altshuler

Presented by Moonbox Productions
by Larissa FastHorse
Directed by Tara Moses
Dramaturgy by Kailey Bennett

Featuring: Jasmine Goodspeed, Johnny Gordon, Ohad Ashkenazi, Marisa Diamond
Partnered with the North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB)

Nov. 21 – Dec. 15, 2024
Arrow Street Arts
2 Arrow St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Age Guidelines: Recommended for ages 13+

Content Warning: This production contains adult language, mature themes, racism, redface, violence, and unsettling truths of both Massachusetts’ and America’s history.

Review by Noelani Kamelamela

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — I am Kanaka Maoli, and the mainstream Thanksgiving story never felt quite real to me especially once I became an adult, because the watered-down story we were fed in Hawai’i of how our people were betrayed to the Americans sounded very unlike what we knew. So, I sincerely doubted that the sweet, clean story of sharing and caring in the early British colonies was anything like the reality. I don’t expect theatergoers to glean the full story out of Moonbox Production’s run of The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse. I would love to see this show in rep with another biting satirical work Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee. Continue reading →

Sep 12

One Ironic Goose Step At A Time; or Two Geeks, One Show: “Straight White Men”

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Photo by Andy Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures. The cast in a moment of superficial contemplation.

Presented by New Rep Theatre
Written by Young Jean Lee
Directed by Elaine Vaan Hogue

Sept. 7 – 30, 2018
Mosesian Center for the Arts
Mainstage Theater
321 Arsenal St
Watertown, MA
New Rep on Facebook

Representation matters. Straight White Men is written by an Asian playwright. Noelani Kamelamela was asked to write a review in addition to the critique written by Kitty Drexel. Both are posted below.

Review by Noelani Kamelamela

(Watertown, MA) The synopsis of Straight White Men seems like it would be a Men’s Rights Activist’s nearest and dearest dream brought to life.  I imagine a white man in a polo shirt and khakis sitting down by the light of a tiki torch to read what would be a thoroughly delightful description: after all, the main action only involves four white men.  Yup. Four white men. No women. No people of color. This hypothetical straight white man would see the name Young Jean Lee and maybe remember sweet ole Robert E. Lee. Perhaps it hearkens him back to time before, when America was great.  “What a fine night of theatre!” this man in a barcalounger would remark aloud as he reached for his credit card and purchased a ticket to New Rep Theatre’s production which runs at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown through September 30th. Continue reading →