Dear Friends, 

We are excited to welcome you to Seattle Rep and Seattle Children’s Theatre’s co-produced world premiere of Larissa FastHorse’s Fancy Dancer, a work that has been more than a decade in the making. 

FastHorse has become a groundbreaking force in American theater—an award-winning playwright, choreographer, and performer who has spent her career reimagining the stories we tell and who gets to tell them. Her modern classic The Thanksgiving Play has had more than 300 productions around the world (including a Broadway run) since its 2018 premiere, and her plays Fake it Until You Make It, What Would Crazy Horse Do?, and a new adaptation of the musical Peter Pan have been seen at leading theaters around the country. Her distinct writing voice is often funny, highly theatrical, provocative, and urgently necessary, always ensuring that Indigenous characters are centered and celebrated. 

^{Seattle Rep Artistic Director Dámaso Rodríguez and SCT Artistic Director Johamy Morales at the Fancy Dancer Meet & Greet (2025). Photo by Sayed Alamy.} 

With Fancy Dancer, FastHorse brings us something deeply personal: a universal story drawn from her own life, layered with culture, resilience, vulnerability, and profound humanity. Larissa takes center stage as the younger version of herself*, Lara, to share her Lakota heritage, struggles, and triumphs. What began as an idea for Larissa to tell her story has matured into a powerful, genre-defying play that merges multi-media storytelling, dance, and activism. Written for a wide and diverse audience of all ages, Lara’s story of finding community and pursuing her dream to become a professional ballet dancer will hopefully resonate with young people, parents, grandparents, educators, and artists alike. There is something for everyone in learning and reconnecting with one's sense of belonging. And so, our two theaters teamed up to ensure that more multi-generational audiences, including school groups across Seattle, will experience Fancy Dancer than if either of our theaters had gone about it alone.  

This co-production you are about to experience is therefore not just a performance—it’s a moment of connection. Between generations. Between cultures. Between truth and imagination. It’s a moment we are proud to create together—between Seattle Rep and SCT—in the spirit of collaboration, community, and resilience. 

^{Actor Burgandi Trejo Phoenix, actor and playwright Larissa FastHorse, and director Chay Yew at the Fancy Dancer Meet & Greet (2025).  Photo by Sayed Alamy.}

To the young people in the audience: this play is for you. We hope it reminds you that identity is something we grow into, that heritage is a strength, and that the stories we tell have the power to reclaim, rebuild, and inspire. 

And this is just the beginning. Our 2025/26 Seasons are among the most thrilling and expansive yet for both Seattle Rep and SCT. The arcs of our seasons are filled with joy, discovery, and transformation, and we can’t wait to share more theater experiences with you. Whether you're a lifelong theatergoer or stepping into the audience for the very first time, there’s something for everyone—and something unforgettable—that will speak to you.  

Thank you for joining us and being part of this long-awaited, deeply joyful coming-of-age story that will echo for generations to come—within the young people here today, or the young person that lives inside you.  

With deep gratitude, 

Dámaso Rodríguez 
Artistic Director, Seattle Rep 

Johamy Morales 
Artistic Director, Seattle Children's Theatre 

See Larissa’s Fancy Dancer for yourself, now playing at Seattle Rep through Nov. 2. 

TICKETS

*In select performances, the role of Lara will be played by actor-dancer Burgandi Trejo Phoenix. 

 ^{Burgandi Trejo Phoenix in Fancy Dancer (2025). Photo by Jim Coleman}. 

^{Header Photo: Larissa FastHorse in Fancy Dancer (2025). Photo by Sayed Alamy}