Video: Go Inside Opening Night of THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

The latest in Second Stage Theater is Larissa Fast Horses' hilarious new comedy, the Thanksgiving play

Under the direction of Rachel Chapkin, it features a stellar cast, including Darcy Carten, Katie Finneran, Scott Foley, and Chris Sullivan

and I caught up with all of them on opening night. Now I can say it, welcome to Broadway

How does it feel? Music to my ears. It feels really good. It feels really good

It feels like somehow surreal and crazy, but also like we've done two months of work

and it feels like, you know, how could I be ready? It's like the biggest dream of my life

but I feel like we got there. We got there. Welcome home to Broadway

How does it feel? Oh, my God, it feels great. Are you kidding me

We've been rehearsing this play. We've been in previews to finally have it open

is a release. It's a breath of fresh air. But being back on Broadway

it's been 20 years. Man, I missed it. I missed it so much. There is nothing

If you are an actor, especially one who started out in theater, whether it was community theater or junior high school or high school theater

to stare into those lights on opening night, it's everything. It's everything

You know what Tonight was the most comfortable I felt on stage in a long time I don know why but this cast has really been clicking The audiences have been with us the whole way and tonight of course was filled with a lot of family and friends

and it was just, it was a joyful night in the theater. Well, first of all, welcome home to Broadway

Welcome to Broadway tonight. I know. It's so exciting, right? But also, Rachel's straight play debut

Yes, my first time doing a play on Broadway, so vulnerable and beautiful

thrilling and an honor. All right. I spoke to you both before on the red carpet

but working together in that room, you know, we missed this all during the COVID shutdown

of what it's like creating work and having a living playwright, making her debut with a director

in the room. What was that like? I mean, it's exhilarating. It's like I peed myself

so many times in the room. It's a joy. Like, it's just a joy

and how we sit together Honestly, an embarrassment, how the play asks us to sit together in shame and the importance

of doing that and in growing more resilient in our embarrassment is so deep and that's been a huge

part of the room and something that Larissa is just extraordinary in helping create a space

for you. Yeah. Oh, it's been amazing. I mean, you know, as Rachel gave me some credit

but she makes such a collaborative room. It makes a space where everybody feels safe to be a part of the process

It's really incredible. And she leads the room with kindness and grace It meant so much This is my first play back since the pandemic And to be able to share it with Rachel has really been incredible and really a dream come true Working with this group

what it's meant to you? You're fearless up there, all for it. Oh, you know what's so great

I think that you really can't make something funny on stage with other people unless they give you

the frame, you know, and these people are just the most generous, wonderful. We have dinner together

all the time. We just love being together. And we feel that on stage together

We hold each other up and lift each other up, and it's just a lot of fun. This is too serious

You guys are so great up there. What's it like performing with this group? It is a troupe of multi-talented actors

I mean, between Chris and Darcy and the double award, Tony Award winning Katie Finneran

I was just saying I find myself sometimes, I shouldn't say this, getting lost

in their work on stage, you know, finding myself watching them instead of reacting

And it's a joy. It is a pure joy. And I'm forever grateful that they're my, you know, my co-stars in this

The people that have been coming to the show over and over and over, it's like, and from

out of town and from out of the country, it's just, it is moving

It is, it's, a lot of stuff with this show. It's almost too big for me to comprehend

I guess I mean that in every way. Some of the show some of my feelings about being on the stage the people that are coming to see the show it like I think at some point maybe when the show is done I going to like stare at the ceiling and everything going to hit me

and maybe I'll sob, I'm not sure. But right now, it feels really, really nice

You're living through it now, eight times a week. Yes, yeah, there's no time to think

And I get to be with Katie Finneran, and Scott Foley and Chris Sullivan

these geniuses. We eat all our meals together. I don't know if any of them told us

but on our two show days, Scott's wife makes us lunch. And we go into my dressing room and we eat like meatball subs

or whatever she made for us that day. And it's just great. It's like I feel really very, very lucky to get to work with this group

this whole group, the people on stage, behind the stage, everywhere. It's just a great group

When you took your bow tonight, first time on Broadway, I told you to make it from the heart

What do you remember about taking your bow tonight? I remember crying

So thank you for that. You're amazing. You know, I really struck

I know I'm a crier, but I wasn't actually ready to, it really meant a lot

It meant so much to me. It meant a lot. My family lost a lot during COVID. I lost several family members

And it meant so much to me to have this be my first playback

after the pandemic in this really horrible time. To have this experience together is everything

And I'm just so grateful to this company and the whole Broadway community

We were talking about that earlier. They're just amazing. I'm going to miss them, like everybody

But you're going to be back. Well, I hope so. You're coming back