FROM THE DIRECTOR
To tell this story honestly, I wanted to start simple. It was vital that our approach to the script be rooted in curiosity and vulnerability, instead of fear and apprehension. I wanted to surround myself with a group of people that was smarter than me (which, I did), and help facilitate the wonder and amazement, moment by moment, of this elaborate and layered conversation, between four people who want to do good in the world, but just keep coming up short.
I also wanted to approach the work with the mindset that these are real people. Likable and flawed. We all know somebody like this, and we probably see some part of ourselves in certain aspects of each character. That authenticity is so important if we are going to honor this script. If we fell into caricatures, then we risked missing the point entirely:
How do we navigate the possibility that we might be wrong (or at least, misguided) at any given moment?
This play brings to the forefront of our current political, socio-economic landscape, the atrocities that built this country, and continue to permeate the very fabric of our society today. Through the lens of our brilliant Indigenous playwright, Larissa FastHorse, we are confronted with that possibility that we might be wrong (or at least, misguided) at any given moment, and we are challenged, as an audience, to accept the ways in which we are complicit with the continued advantages that serve our needs, as the ancestors of those who took what they felt entitled to; who thought to leave nothing but pain and suffering in their wake. This play uses humor to cut through the tension, and tease out the pain in a way that is palatable to diverse audiences, in order to open our eyes to the manner with which we celebrate a holiday that we may not fully understand.
It is my sincere hope that you will indulge this performance with an expansive curiosity; one that allows for the possibility for you to be wrong, or at least, misguided in your ideals, however deeply embedded they may be. I invite you to sit with the discomfort, laugh your way through it, cringe when you are tense, and breathe through the unknown. On the other side, I sincerely hope you will engage in an open dialogue with your peers that is based in curiosity and love, instead of judgment and fear. In this day and age, under a regime that aims to divide us, the simple act of listening to someone you disagree with in a calm and respectful manner, not to persuade, but to understand, is in itself, an act of resistance.
You don’t have to be perfect. Just show up.
-PHILLIP RAY GUEVARA, DIRECTOR
Biographies in Alphabetical Order
Amanda Cardwell-Aiken, she/they (Costume Designer/Costume Shop Manager) is the Costume Studio Manager at the University of Portland and the Costume Shop Manager for the Des Moines Metro Opera summer season. She has a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from Utah State University. Recent Designs: The Storyteller (Artist Repertory Theatre), Pride and Prejudice: Devised (UP), Chekhov! 3 Farces (21Ten), Waiting for Godot (Corrib), Dorothy’s Dictionary (21Ten), Little Shop of Horrors (UFOMT), Pinocchio Teatrale (USU), Spring Awakening (USU). She has also worked with Arizona Opera, Phoenix Theatre Company, 59E59th, Kitchen Theatre Company, Oregon Contemporary Theatre. You can follow her creative journey on Instagram @amandaaikendesign or www.amandaaiken.com
Jewel DeVyldere, she/her (Ensemble/ Logan U.S.), is a Junior at the University of Portland. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in both Theatre arts and Spanish. When not spending time with department theatre, Jewel is decides to fill it more theatrical activities (AKA: Theatre Club) This is Jewel’s second year as the The University Playhouse Secretary. Some of her past works with UP include Peter and the Star Catcher, VHS Christmas Carol, The Future, Once, and Imminent and Disastrous.
Zoe Thyrza Diao, she/her (Light Board Operartor), is a third year Biology and Theater double major with a minor in Neuroscience
Studies. This will be Zoe's first time working as a Light Board Operator for a UP production, and she is very excited about the process as well as being a part of this wonderful show with such wonderful people. She hopes you enjoy the performance!
Laya Duguid, she/her (Alicia), is a Senior political science and global affairs major from Royse City, Texas. You may have seen her on stage for The Effect last spring, or ASM’ing and acting in the devised show earlier this season. She has been apart of many organizations at her time at UP. She is Choctaw, which is why she’s super excited to be apart of this project. With all the love and generosity, she encourages audiences to embrace whatever feeling you walk away with. Laya would like to thank all the people of color in her life and hopes they get the utmost most enjoyment of seeing these characters take up the most space—as always.
Sadie Dunlap, she/her (Asst. Stage Manager), is a first-year Mechanical Engineering major with a minor in theater. The Thanksgiving Play is Sadie’s main stage debut at UP. She is also involved in the UP Playhouse theater as well. This is Sadie’s first time taking on a tech role, and she is so grateful for this opportunity.
Larissa FastHorse, she/her (Playwright). Sicangu Lakota Nation. Larissa is a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow, 2020 MacArthur Fellow, professor of practice (literature) at Arizona State University, and co-founder of Indigenous Direction. She was the first known female, Native American playwright on Broadway with The Thanksgiving Play. Additional plays include Peter Pan (revised book, National Tour), Fake It Until You Make
It, Native Nation Project Trilogy, and For The People. She is currently under commission with The Public Theater, Second Stage Theater, and Yale Repertory Theatre.
Phillip Ray Guevara, he/him (Director), is a professional actor, director, and fight choreographer from San Antonio, TX. He holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Texas State University, and an M.F.A. in Acting from The University of Washington. During his time at Texas State, Phillip studied abroad with The Royal Shakespeare Company, in conjunction with The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Regional Acting credits include: The Play That Goes Wrong (Seattle Rep), The Hombres (Artist’s Rep), Native Gardens (Intiman), Julius Caesar (Titan Theatre Co.), Much Ado About Nothing (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), and more! Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, he has developed his career on camera, appearing in ads for companies such as: Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Kaiser Permanente, OHP, Brooks Running, and many more. You can also see him in Somebody I Used To Know, now streaming on Amazon Prime. The Thanksgiving Play is Phillip’s directorial debut, and he would like to thank The University of Portland and this wonderful team for entrusting him to tell this story. He would also like to thank his loving and supportive wife Tricia, as well as his mother-in-law Teresa, for helping out with watching the kids during these late night rehearsals. He could not have done this without them!
Lili Gudgel, she/her (Stage Manager), is a senior Theater and Environmental Science double major with a minor in German. She is thrilled to be working on The Thanksgiving Play as her senior capstone! Through her four years at UP, she has stage managed previous UP Theater shows and capstone projects such as The Effect, The Prom, Bends, and The Last Train. She was also Lighting Designer for TBA. She is very excited to share the work of the production team, designers, cast, and
crew with you and would like to thank her team as well as the other UP Theater seniors in the show with whom she has had the pleasure of working with over the years. She would also like to thank her friends and family for never being deterred by the inevitable response of "I can't, I have rehearsal". Finally, thank you for supporting UP Theater, and enjoy the show!
Emily Hogan, she/her (Cultural Consultant). A transplant from Lompoc, CA, Emily graduated from the University of Portland with a BA in Theater in 2019. Performance: BANNED!, Memento Mori, 24H2M (Hand2Mouth), Un Pajarito Canta (Portland Revels), An Xmas Cuento Remix (Milagro), Made To Dance In Burning Buildings (Shaking the Tree). Stage Management: The Antipodes, UBU America, Forbidden Fruit, Fucking A, MODELMINORITY, Chick Fight (Shaking the Tree), What Brings You Here? (Hand2Mouth YDR). Dramaturgy: In A Different Reality She’s Clawing At The Walls (Shaking the Tree), i defy you, stars (Do It For Mead), The Killing Fields (Orphic). Emily is a current Hand2Mouth Company Member.
Olive Huxley, she/her (Ensemble / Caden U.S.), is a freshman Communication major with a minor in Theater. Olive has been heavily involved in theater since she was eight doing plays, musicals, and technical theater all through her life. The Thanksgiving Play is her second show here at University of Portland, having been in New Works New Voices this past month. She is so grateful and excited to be apart of this production and hopes you enjoy!
Casey James, she/they (Jaxton), is so close to completing a double major in Music and Theater performance at UP. She was last seen on the mainstage for The Prom (Trent), and is heavily involved in the PFA department including tenor section leader for University Singers, marketing assistant for PFA, and president of University Playhouse Theater. When not at UP, Casey works as a junior associate for Original Practice Shakespeare Festival. She hopes this show gives us all chance to laugh, reflect, and connect with our neighbors.
Larry Larsen, he/him (Lighting Designer), has been involved with theater since 5th grade when he played Schroder in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Larry has been the scenic and lighting design faculty for the University’s Theater Program for 32 years. Larry has served as the Chair of the Department of Performing and Fine Arts, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and is currently the Director of the Theater Program. Larry’s design work for last year included the lighting for The Effect and Pride and Prejudice. Larry has been working professionally as a scenic and lighting designer in Portland since 1988 when he moved to town to be the Design Associate for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival – Portland. His current design work included Triangle and In Clay at Broadway Rose Theatre Co., and Highland Hearth for Portland Revels where he has been the resident scenic designer since 2001. Over the years he has designed shows at Lakewood Theatre Company, Artists Repertory Theatre, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theatre, Mocks Crest Light Opera for which he was the Producing Artistic Director, Portland Actors Conservatory, Portland Civic
Theatre, Portland Repertory Theatre, Tygres Heart Shakespeare Company, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival/ Portland. He has an MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Washington.
Joshua Mager he/him (Caden), is a charming and dedicated actor who has made UP theater a second home. Debuting in House of Desires, he has since been seen in Peter and the Starcatcher, These Shining Lives, You can see all the Stars, Too Much Light Makes the Baby go Blind and The Effect. As an actor, Joshua puts everything he has into each performance and strives to be true, engaging, and meaningful. To him, there is no feeling more thrilling and rewarding than being on stage. Off the stage, Joshua is lighthearted and unabashedly himself; you can catch him laughing for seemingly no reason when he’s otherwise sitting alone or thinking about mathematical equations and the physics of the world around him. A senior mechanical engineering major, though he asks you don’t hold that against him when considering his performance. Joshua thanks UP Theater for giving him a chance, his parents for everything he has in life, and most importantly the audience (you) for reading this and watching his work (hopefully validating his vanity through laughs and applause). He never knows how to end these.
Kayla Matsuoka, she/her (Ensemble, Alicia U.S.), is a second year psychology and arts administration double major with a theater emphasis. She is from San Jose, CA, and loves crocheting 3D amigurumi animals,
listening to music, and hanging out with friends. She has loved being part of the UP productions You Can See All the Stars and Pride and Prejudice as an actor, a technician for Sanctuary City and The Effect, as well as an actor/devisor in her favorite piece; New Works, New Voices: Forefolk. She has had so much fun working on this hilarious and necessary piece, and is so excited to share it with you all!
Zora Richardson, she/they (Ensemble, Jaxton U.S.), is a Senior Theater and Arts Administration major with a minor in Music. Recent roles at UP include Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice and Angie in The Prom. This fall, Zora completed their Arts Administration capstone by independently producing Hedwig and the Angry Inch in the Blair Studio Theater. Zora is also a member of University Singers, and she currently interns with Choral Arts Ensemble of Portland. She can also be found galavanting about the Portland parks with Original Practice Shakespeare Festival (Ophelia, Romeo, et. al.) She is thrilled to be part of the cast bringing The Thanksgiving Play back to Portland and hopes you enjoy the show!
Leianna Santos, she/her (Stage Crew), is currently a freshman enrolled in the Theater 171 class. I've been a performer all my life, but I wanted to get a feeling of UP's theater program and how things worked before I started auditioning. I'm really enjoying my theater class and I'm so excited to be a part of the stage crew for this production!
Tyler Smith, he/him (Scenic / Sound Designer) earned his MFA in theater technology from the University of Illinois –Urbana Champaign in 2001 and has taught at
many large university theater programs including University of Arizona, University of Central Florida and his alma mater, UIUC. He has also served as a LORT Technical Director for Studio Arena Theater and the Milwaukee Rep. His background includes Project Management in the construction industry building performing arts centers, theaters, cafetoriums, concert halls and upgrading safety systems for roller coasters. Most recently he has been refining his design skills in the custom fabrication industry creating all manner of scenery, interactive games, custom vehicles and trade show displays. He also has refurbished the Paul Bunyan statue in nearby Kenton. Tyler's work has earned many awards including: Themed Entertainment Association Award for Outstanding Achievement, Brand Experience CES - The Google Assistant Ride, A Clio Sports Silver Award - Gatorade X Jordans, MLS Activation of the Year 2018 - Portland Timbers Goal Dust, the Verge's Most in Show CES 2018 - Google Connected Devices and Oregon Restoration Demuro Award 2018 –Paul Bunyan.
Branna Sundy, she/they (Logan), is excited for you to take in Larissa FastHorse's bitingly accurate satire of white culture. She's proud of the work this company has done and is glad to have gotten to work with everyone on this production. You may recognize her from any number of UP productions or from doing Original Practice Shakespeare in the parks this past summer. They hope you leave the theatre determined to honestly question what you act on and what you can do to offer communal accountability rather than ego-driven shaming. And they hope you bust a gut laughing with each other, because that's also really important.
Technical Director
Tyler Smith
Costume Studio Manager
Amanda Cardwell-Aiken
Scene Shop
Student Assistants
Costume Shop
Student Assistants
Light Board Operator
Zoe Thyrza Diao
Sound Board Operator
Azlym Amaya
Dressers
Elizabeth Goeres, Jacquynne Sample
Props/Stage Crew
Samuel Paci, Leianna Santos
Box Office Manager
Kaylee Gotay-Perez
House Manager
Mindi Logan
Ushers
Itzayana Chavez-Paniagua, Monae Cuellar, Fiona Haselton
