On our final day of Women’s History Month, we celebrate Broadway star Shoba Narayan.

Ms. Narayan made her Broadway debut in 2017 as the leading role in “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812”- the first South Asian woman to star in a lead role since 2004. Since then, she’s starred in multiple big titles, such as “Wicked,” “Hamilton,” and most recently, Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin.”

Ms. Narayan has made a point to encourage more representation for Asian-American performers on Broadway. During her “Aladdin” run, she brought certain details to the attention of Disney- for example, pointing out proper ethnic dialect for certain characters and calling out old Americanized pronunciations. Her advocacy for representation in the theater has gained the attention of many young Asian-American women who’ve felt marginalized by the professional industry. As we celebrate her talent, we also celebrate her activism, allowing opportunities for more and more voices to be heard within the arts.

This Women’s History Month, we’ve reflected on multiple examples of performers, writers, designers, and educators who have and continue to pave the way for women in theater all over the world. As we follow these examples, it’s key to acknowledge that we’re still learning. These brilliant women are beacons as we move forward here at EFT. They are A guiding light for not only women in theater, but artists as a whole.