Cowboys and East Indians
A Play by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler
Commissioned by the Denver Center Theatre Company, Cowboys and East Indians will have its world premiere in January 2026.
Adapted from Nina McConigley’s award-winning collection of short stories, Cowboys and East Indians follows the Sen family as they grapple with expectations and cultural collisions moving from India to Wyoming.
Lakshmi “Lucky” Sen’s dad calls her a prairie dog — hesitant and scared on the side of the road. Now on a mission to fulfill her mom’s final wish, Lucky has to figure out saris, how to stop burning the spices, and the many other things she didn’t pay attention to while she was busy trying to fit in. But on the eve of her sister’s wedding, a family secret resurfaces, and Lucky realizes there might be a lot more about her mom and being a “good Indian daughter” that she doesn’t know.
A rare exploration of rural immigrant experiences in the American West, Cowboys and East Indians examines the question of how one understands their identity when they don’t see a reflection of it in their community.
I was beautifully surprised. Breathtaking, powerful, thoughtful, compassionate, compelling.
– 2024 Colorado New Play Summit attendee