"Palestine, New Mexico," a play set on a reservation in New Mexico, received less than favorable reviews after its debut in Los Angeles, California.

Russell Means (Oglala Lakota) plays a tribal leader whose son is killed on duty in Afghanistan. The Hollywood Reporter describes Means as being "not quite into the part yet" and says the story -- doesn't come across clearly.

"At times, the play's wildly disparate elements appear to jell, but more often than not the drink is predictable and flat," the Reporter says.

The Los Angeles Times also criticizes the "Indian shtick" and the jumbled storyline. "[T]he plot is convoluted in a way that isn’t always fun to follow, and the audience is put in the position of having to humor humorists having an off day. Even the circumcision jokes fall flat," the paper says.

The cast features a handful of Native actors, including Lavonne Rae Andrews (Tlingit), Justin Rain (Plains Cree) and Brandon Oakes (Mohawk).

Get the Story:
Palestine, New Mexico -- Theater Review (The Hollywood Reporter 12/15)
Theater review: 'Palestine, New Mexico' at Mark Taper Forum (The Los Angeles Times 12/14)