In 2023, Larissa FastHorse became the first Native woman to have a play produced on Broadway with
The Thanksgiving Play. But before that, she was a professional ballerina. The story of how this half Native, half White woman from a small town in South Dakota went on this unlikely trajectory is a fascinating one, which she tells herself in her solo play
Fancy Dancer, receiving its second production right here at History Theatre in St. Paul (it was originally commissioned by Children's Theatre Company, and after several rounds of workshopping premiered in Seattle last year).
Fancy Dancer feels like one of those great Fringe solo storytelling shows in which an artist tells you their life story in a way that is engaging, relatable, moving, and entertaining. Larissa is an incredible storyteller, whether through dancing, or writing, or performing in this show. While this play is unusual for the History Theater in that it wasn't commissioned and developed here, it absolutely fits the model of telling true stories from history (albeit fairly recent history), primarily in the Midwest. Minnesota has its own tragic history with the Lakota people, and this play is not about that, but it is about the Lakota community and one Lakota woman who overcame hardships to follow her dream of being a professional ballet dancer, which is no easy dream for anyone to accomplish. It's a story that'll make you laugh and cry and feel all the feelings in between!
See it at History Theatre in downtown St. Paul now through October 4.
