Amy Brenneman (River) and Noah Bean (Theo). Photo by Daniel Rader.
Larissa FastHorse’s widely produced “Thanksgiving Play” has helped establish the playwright as someone who expertly deploys sardonic humor and cleverly nuanced sarcasm, particularly when dealing with subjects like identity politics and virtue signaling. She isn’t afraid to take some jabs at her characters’ obliviousness, creating moments of laugh-out-loud self-reflection—often the type of misguided reflection that leads them spinning toward a world of chaos. In her latest offering, “Fake It Until You Make It,” side-splitting chaos is indeed what you get.
…a thoughtfully constructed and well-played farce…performances are…deeply memorable…A fun and delightfully entertaining show…
This is a tale of two non-profits: Indigenous Nations Soaring (INS) and N.O.B.U.S.H., an organization that strives to eradicate invasive plant species that can otherwise deter the butterfly population. Both groups are housed in a common building, a building specifically for Indigenous-led groups. The problem is River (Amy Brenneman), the founder of INS, is a white woman, rubbing Wynona (Shyla Lefner), N.O.B.U.S.H.’s founder, the wrong way. When the two women compete for a grant intended for Indigenous nonprofits, the lengths that each will go to to sabotage the other make for episodic hilarity.
In the mix here is Theo/Mark (Noah Bean), Wynona’s long-time boyfriend, a white man with a mission to help “the people.” It is Wynona and Theo’s ill-advised plot to waylay River’s bid for the grant that occupies much of the storyline. Also sharing space in the building is Krys (a standout performance by Brandon Delsid), founder of 2 Spirit Pride. Rounding out this rather quixotic group of nonprofit owners is Grace (Burgandi Trejo Phoenix) whose confusion regarding her own racial identity has prompted her to form a legal organization that specializes in “racial shifting.”
There are numerous moving parts to this play. As it is a farce, the utter ridiculousness of several of the setups and the over-the-top quality of the production are intentional. Door slamming (a lot of it), mistaken identities, seemingly rabid cats, and playing fast and loose with some storyline points are part of FastHorse’s toolbox here when it comes to creating a farcical piece that still harbors a deep message about the inequities faced by Indigenous-run organizations. Does it all work? For the most part. Farce demands a highly practiced and polished give-and-take that this production needs just a little more time to perfect. While Michael John Garcés’ direction matches the frenetic pacing of the script, takes advantage of the incredible talent, and, in some cases, the remarkable agility of this ensemble of actors, there is an absence of smoothness in certain spots.
Sara Ryung Clement’s set design whimsically and ever-so vibrantly recreates a two-story building using modular forms that slide on and offstage. This evokes the on-demand second floor, yet the movement between these stories can sometimes stymie the action—and there is a great deal of action unfolding onstage at any given time. Perhaps one too many gags and easy jokes permeate the script, thereby lending a shortcut feel to what is otherwise a thoughtfully constructed and well-played farce. For instance, the cat custody subplot, though quite amusing at times, can detract focus from more meaningful onstage engagements.
The actors dive deep into the mindset of the absurdity, particularly as it pertains to identity appropriation and racial divisiveness on all sides of the aisle. Their performances are purely of-the-moment and as a result, deeply memorable. Brenneman’s comic chops are impeccable. Her water ritual dance received the most emphatic response of the evening—raucous laughter and applause all around. As Wynona, Lefner is a perfect foil to Brenneman’s portrayal of white saviorism. While Bean’s Theo harkens a neo-hippy vibe with a twist, his performance is perhaps the most earnest given his lines and mannerisms. As noted, Delsid is an absolute joy to watch—you wait for his scenes. In a similar sidekick style role, Trejo Phoenix imbues the part with her own hilarious vision. Also adding to the hot mess of mistaken identities is the “real” Mark staunchly played by Eric Stanton Betts.
In farce, the physicality and visual presence of every single element becomes paramount to a play’s success. To this end, E.B. Brooks’ costumes serve the production exceedingly well, as do the sound effects (John Nobori) and lighting design (Tom Ontiveros). A fun and delightfully entertaining show, “Fake It Until You Make It” offers plenty to engage the senses. Its memorability ranks right up there with other recent comic hits produced by Arena Stage.
Running Time: One hour and 25 minutes with no intermission.
“Fake it Until You Make It” runs through May 4, 2025, presented by Arena Stage (in association with Center Theatre Group), 1101 6th St SW, Washington, DC 20024. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go online.
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