FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT-It's a Half Baked Idiotic Play STAY AWAY

The world premiere of  FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT at the Mark Taper in LA has a long way to go before it's ready for discerning theater goers. Written as a farce, it had a kernel of a premise; Native American cultural appropriation and indigenous race discrimination. Set in Arizona inside a suite of offices for non-profit org. providing grants and services serving local Native Americans. The incomprehensible, impossible plot is the nefarious plotting of Wynona (Tonantzin Carmelo) to bring down her nemesis, River (Julie Bowen, "Modern Family) a white woman who is the Director of the organization. Wynona rightly resents River for being in charge as she's posing as a fraudulent Native tribe woman. Theo (Noah Bean "Damages") soon returns from months away working to save the indigenous environment from invasive plants to the warm welcome of his lover, Wynona. However, nonsense soon runs rampant starting with the running gag of River's cat under attack by Wynona to spite River or the cat attacking the actors. The stuffed cat was tossed around in a myriad of absurd, painfully droll scenarios. The other continually confusing conceit is a misconstrued identity charade that misfires repeatedly. At the beginning of the 90 minute, one act play, Theo and Wynona are happily reunited following his environmental work removing non-indigenous shrubs that threaten local vegetation. Wynona remains steadfast against marrying Theo because he's white. She tells him she owes it to her tribe to proliferate only with "her people." Wynona wields her womanly wiles to entice Theo into applying for a job working for River in order to sabotage River's employment. Tossed into this confusing mess is a gratuitous, gay love affair and an advocate who defends "race-shifters".  River is easily convinced by Theo a.k.a. Mark, to perform a ribald, ritual water dance that is offensive and threatens her job. Playwright Larissa FastHorse missed out on writing a provocative parody with a prevailing message. Furthermore, the production is a poor imitation of the slapstick comedy "Noises Off". "FAKE IT" is a cacophonous catastrophe and a crying shame because cultural appropriation is a pressing issue which bears being called out. This new production needs reductions and a rewrite to become a farcical comedy to convey the travesty of the treatment of Indigenous People in history and today.  A comedic satire is warranted but there's nothing to recommend in FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT.