Syracuse Stage has been selected by the Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) as the 2025 recipient of the Lucille Lortel Foundation Indigenous Theatermaker Award. This annual award recognizes a theater institution or organization for its commitment to preserving and uplifting Indigenous theatermakers located in New York or Connecticut.

“We are deeply grateful to the Dramatists Guild Foundation and the Lucille Lortel Foundation for this meaningful recognition,” says Joann Yarrow, Syracuse Stage’s director of community engagement. “Syracuse Stage is committed to going beyond land acknowledgements by building ongoing relationships with local and national Indigenous communities. We are committed to sharing space for Indigenous education, storytelling and artistry that strive toward an equitable future.”

Administered by DGF, the award includes a $20,000 grant to support and advance the work of the recognized organization, made possible by the generous support of the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

A Longstanding Commitment to Indigenous Storytelling

For more than three decades, Syracuse Stage has championed and elevated stories from Indigenous artists and communities. Highlights of this ongoing work include:

• 1994: Premiere of “The Indolent Boys,” written by Pulitzer Prize–winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday.
• 2008: “Tales From the Salt City,” created with acclaimed theatre artist Ping Chong, featuring stories from Syracuse residents including Jeanne Shenandoah, environmental leader of the Onondaga Nation.
• 2021 to present: Launch and evolution of “Our Words are Seeds,” a multi-year, multi-disciplinary collaboration guided by lead artist Ty Defoe, offering educational programming, storytelling and artistic partnerships with Indigenous creators.
• 2025: A collaboration with Netherlands-based choreographer Nicole Beutler and Oneida/Haudenosaunee thought leader Michelle Schenandoah titled “A Room in Our House,” a dance work examining the relationship between Dutch colonists and the Indigenous peoples of North America.

These projects enrich the artistic landscape of Central New York and continue to shape Syracuse Stage’s work as a people-first organization dedicated to inclusive, community-driven storytelling.

About the Award

The Lucille Lortel Foundation Indigenous Theatermaker Award is part of DGF’s long-term commitment to uplifting the voices and stories of Indigenous dramatists of the First Nations. Previous recipients include Iakowi:he’ne’ Oakes, founder and director of the North American Indigenous Center of New York, and the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program.

For more information about the Dramatists Guild Foundation and their awards, visit DGF.org.

To learn more about the Indigenous Stories at Syracuse Stage, visit syracusestage.org/indigenous-stories. This work is made possible through the generous support of local partners—Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation, Central New York Community Foundation, Slutzker Family Foundation, Allyn Foundation, Gifford Foundation, John Ben Snow Foundation, M&T Bank and Wegmans—whose longtime commitment helps Syracuse Stage continue telling stories that are part of the Central New York community.