Playwright Larissa FastHorse Named 2020 MacArthur Fellow
(© John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)
Playwright Larissa FastHorse, Sicangu Lakota Nation, has been named a 2020 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. The MacArthur fellowship is a $625,000, no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential.
FastHorse's work is described by the organization as "Creating space for Indigenous artists, stories, and experiences in mainstream theater and countering misrepresentation of Native American perspectives in broader society." Her comedy The Thanksgiving Play is one of the top-ten most produced plays in America this season, marking the first time in history that a Native American playwright is on that list.
FastHorse is also the the co-founder of Indigenous Direction, which advises on theater and film projects that address Native issues. She is working with Cornerstone Theatre Company on a trilogy of plays in collaboration with indigenous people across the country. These works include Urban Rez, about Native people of and/or living in the Los Angels Basin, and Native Nation, a collaboration with tribes in Phoenix. The third in the trilogy is the forthcoming The D/N/Lakota Project.
