06/13/2026
For more than a century, Broadway has been considered the pinnacle of American theater.
Thousands of playwrights have seen their work performed on its stages.
But until recently, not a single Native American woman had ever had a play produced there.
That changed with Larissa FastHorse.
A citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, FastHorse made history when The Thanksgiving Play debuted on Broadway, making her the first Native American woman playwright to have a show produced on Broadway.
The milestone was about far more than one production.
It represented a breakthrough for Indigenous storytelling in one of the most influential cultural spaces in the world.
FastHorse built her career by doing something many great artists do:
Telling uncomfortable truths through humor.
Her work often challenges stereotypes, explores cultural misconceptions, and invites audiences to rethink how Indigenous people are portrayed in mainstream society.
With The Thanksgiving Play, she brought those conversations to Broadway itself.
The production opened doors not only for Native playwrights, but also for Indigenous actors, directors, producers, and future storytellers who may one day follow the same path.
Representation matters.
Not because it guarantees success.
But because it shows future generations what is possible.
Every barrier broken becomes a doorway for someone else.
Larissa FastHorse didn't just make Broadway history.
She helped ensure that Native voices will have a larger place in shaping the future of American theater.
🎭🪶
Which Indigenous writer, artist, or performer do you think deserves more mainstream recognition?
