Dragons Love Tacos
May 15-23, 2024
Schacht Fine Arts Center
Written by Ernie Nolan, Music by Chris LaPorte
Based on the book by Adam Rubi, Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
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Dragons Love Tacos
Written by Ernie Nolan, Music by Chris LaPorte
Based on the book by Adam Rubi, Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
Costume Designer Lighting Designer Sound/Projections Designer Scenic Designer
Jennifer Raineri Alena Samoray Vinny Prucnick Jesse White
Technical Director Movement Choreographer Props Master
Paul Sweet Eleah Jayne Peal Eddie Knight
Director
David Baecker
CAST
Boy……………………………………………………..…Kyra Burris
Leroy, a dog………………………………….Macayla Roberts
Man in Suit………………………………Cameron Richardson
Red Dragon……………………………………….Stacey Dobos
Blue Dragon……………………………………….Michael Keck
White Dragon…………………………………….Avanti Roberts
Yellow Dragon…………………………….Steffanie Mammoser
Mom (voiceover)………………………………Danielle Stallone
CREATIVE TEAM & CREW
Director…………………………………….….…David Baecker
Movement Choreographer………….…….…Eleah Jayne Peal
Costume Designer………………………….….Jennifer Raineri
Scenic Designer………………………………………Jesse White
Technical Director & Scenic Builder…………………Paul Sweet
Lighting Designer…………………………….…..Alena Samoray
Sound & Projections Designer………………….Vinny Pruchnick
Props Master………………………….……….………Eddie Knight
Stage Manager…………………………………….Katrina Beach
Movement Captain………………………………..Avanti Roberts
Asst. Stage Managers…….Maya Koennecke, Danielle Stallone
Light Board Operator…………………………………Joseph Long
Sound Board Operator………………………………Lexi Beaumont
Dresser…………………………………………………Rowan Brown
About the Authors
Adam Rubin is the author of a dozen critically acclaimed picture books, which have sold more than five million copies combined. They include Dragons Love Tacos, Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel, High Five, Gladys the Magic Chicken, Secret Pizza Party, Robo-Sauce, the Those Darn Squirrels trilogy, and El Chupacabras, which won the Texas Bluebonnet Award. Publishers Weekly called his #1 New York Times bestselling story collection The Ice Cream Machine a “madcap middle-grade debut.” Rubin graduated from Washington University in St. Louis where he studied advertising and worked as an advertising creative director for ten years before leaving his day job to focus on writing books. Adam also has a background in Improv where he taught classes at iO Theater in Chicago and in New York at the Annoyance Theatre. In addition to writing and improv, he also curates and designs puzzles and magic tricks.
Ernie Nolan is the Executive Artistic Director of Nashville Children’s Theatre and an award-winning director and playwright. He has written commissions for La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA, Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, MD, The Milwaukee Zoological Society, Circle Theatre in Omaha, NE in partnership with the Institute for Holocaust, and Nashville Children’s Theatre. In collaboration with Grammy-nominated recording artist Justin Roberts, he also wrote Hansel and Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat which premiered at the Broadway Playhouse in Chicago, IL. Dedicated to creating new work, Ernie has developed and worked with such writers as Idris Goodwin, Marisela Trevino Orta, Marcy Heisler, Zina Goldrich, Dave Deveau, and Anton Lipovetsky. Also a resident artist of The Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, MO, he has directed and choreographed world premieres by such Tony-nominated artists as Willy and Rob Reale, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and Bill Russell and Henry Krieger. In March 2012, Ernie made his Off-Broadway debut with Lucky Duck at the New Victory Theater in NYC. Ernie currently sits on the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ, a global theatre for young audiences service organization. In 2014, he received the Illinois Theatre Association’s Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences award. He is a proud graduate of both the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (BFA Musical Theatre) and The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA Directing).
Cast and Creative Team
Kyra Burris (Boy) is very excited to play Boy in Russell Sage’s production of Dragons Love Tacos. She most recently played Annemarie in Number the Stars. Previous roles have been Tilly (She Kills Monsters), Maud (The Music Man), and Gabrielle (Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella). She would also like to thank her family for all their support.
Stacey Dobos (Red Dragon) is a senior Musical Theatre major at Sage and couldn’t be more excited to play Red Dragon as her first role here at TIS! Previously she has done shows at Catskill High School, including playing Alanna in The Little Mermaid and Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn in Music Man. She’d like to thank her family, friends, and professors here at Sage for their continued support and guidance.
Michael Keck (Blue Dragon) is an undergraduate student at Russell Sage College. From Catskill, New York, Michael is at Russell Sage for Theater in the Performing Arts program. He has participated in shows and musicals since 8th grade and has continued to do shows to the present (including during the beginning of COVID-19 despite the limitations). He has both performed or been involved in stage crew for previous productions. He is glad to be part of the show and hopes everyone enjoys the show.
Steffanie Mammoser (Yellow Dragon) is now in her third semester with Russell Sage as a Musical Theatre major. This is her seventh production at TIS and her fifth time onstage as a cast member. Having performed in musicals throughout high school, she is elated to be continuing her theater career in college.
Cameron Richardson (Man in Suit) is excited to be working on another show here at Sage in his final year! Previous TIS credits include Uncle Henrik in Number the Stars, Skip Weaver in Benjamin Franklinstein the Musical, Stage Manager for She Kills Monsters, Herb/Daddy in Junie B. Jones the Musical, and Willie in Happy Days, among others. He also worked with Will Kempe’s Players this previous summer in their productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Taming of the Shrew, where he played the role of Proteus and stage-managed the production. He would like to thank his family, friends, and professors for supporting him in his theatrical journey!
Avanti Roberts (White Dragon/Movement Captain) is a first-semester junior majoring in Musical Theatre and minoring in Dance. His hopes for Dragons Love Tacos are to find new and creative ways to communicate and express his emotions/self. He has been part of various shows here at Russell Sage including Benjamin Franklinstein The Musical, Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily, Junie B. Jones, the Musical, and the recent musical stage reading of Robin Hood: A New Musical. Along with the obvious hopes of a big crowd, he also hopes that everybody who comes enjoys the show!
Macayla Roberts (Leroy, a Dog) is enjoying playing Leroy the Dog to finish out her spring semester at TIS! This is Macayla’s second year at Russell Sage as a Musical Theater major in the Performing Arts department. She participated in all the musicals in her high school and is excited to see what happens next in the theater department and to help out where she can.
CREATIVE TEAM & CREW
David Baecker (Director) is a Professor of Theatre at Russell Sage College. Past productions at TIS include Stupid F*cking Bird, The 39 Steps: A Live Radio Play, Baskerville!, The Snow Queen, Freckleface Strawberry, and Romeo and Juliet. Other directing credits include A Christmas Carol (New York State Theatre Institute), Catastrophe (Troy Foundry Theatre), Shipwrecked! (Saratoga Shakespeare Company), The Bridge (Brooklyn Historical Society), Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (Santa Fe Theatre Festival), and Full Gallop (Theatre Voices). BA–Washington University in St. Louis, MFA–Florida State University, AEA.
Katrina Beach (Stage Manager) is a freshman in the Performing Arts department at Russell Sage College. She is excited to return to the position of stage manager for Dragons Love Tacos after stage managing Benjamin Franklinstein the Musical! this past December. She’d like to thank and congratulate all of the cast and crew for their hard work in this show. Previous onstage and technical roles with the Sage theater department include Properties Master for She Kills Monsters and Mrs. Rosen in Number The Stars.
Lexi Beaumont (Sound Board Operator) she/her, is an intern here at Russell Sage College for musical theatre. The internship has given Lexi more opportunity to work backstage, as she is usually found onstage. Recently, she played Byron in the musical reading of Robin Hood (A New Musical) at TIS. Outside of TIS, some previous credits include Elle Woods (Legally Blonde The Musical), Kyra (Bare: A Pop Opera), Tabatha/Cheshire Cat (Alice By Heart) at The CENTER; Cinderella (Into The Woods), Regina George (Mean Girls The Musical) at Star2Be Performing Arts; Amneris (Aida), Louisa (The Sound of Music) at Hudson High School. Lexi is enjoying her time here at Russell Sage College learning more about the theatre and what goes on behind the scenes!
Rowan Brown (Dresser) is a sophomore Expressive Arts in Mental Health major with a concentration in music. They have been involved with TIS previously as the understudy for Mary/dresser in the Benjamin Franklinstein The Musical! company, as a dresser for Ladies, How Dare You!, and as Chenille in Junie B. Jones the Musical May 2023. Outside of Russell Sage, other productions they have been involved with are The Greatest Show (Backstage Crew and Set Design), Little Shop of Horrors (Backstage Crew, Costumes/Makeup, and Set Design), Almost Maine (Shelly), It’s A Wonderful Life (Clarence and Angel), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (The Comfort Counselor Mitch Mahoney). They are so excited to be part of another college performance and look forward to continuing to work with the theatre department!
Maya Koennecke (Assistant Stage Manager) is a junior Theatre major at Russell Sage College. She has spent plenty of time behind the scenes at TIS, stage managing Ladies, How Dare You! and Junie B. Jones and assistant stage managing Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily and Stupid F*cking Bird. Last semester, Maya was seen onstage as Evil Tina in She Kills Monsters. Past performance credits include Macbeth (Bethlehem High School), Museum (Bethlehem High School), and Into the Woods (Debuts Theater Co.) Special thanks to everyone who made this show possible and much love to her friends and family for their support.
Eddie Knight (Properties Master) serves as the Education Program and Internship Coordinator for the Theatre Institute and is a proud graduate of Russell Sage College (Blue Angel Class of 2017). A native of Chatham, N.Y., Eddie has worked with the Columbia County Youth Theatre as a director and teaching artist for over a decade, serves on the board of The Ghent Playhouse, and is the director of the Chatham High School Drama Club. Favorite TIS stage roles include the titular role in Benjamin Franklinstein The Musical!, The Cowardly Lion (The Wizard of Oz), Sweaty McGhee & Tailor (Backbeard The Musical), and Ugly (Honk!).
Joe Long (Light Board Operator) is a sophomore Psychology major and is happy to help out at TIS, having been involved in many productions in his high school. He worked in the ensemble and took on title roles in shows such as Guys K ( Lt. Brannigan), Clue! (Mr. Bobby), The Addams Family (Uncle Fester), and Legally Blonde (Emmet Forrest). Joe also worked as a sound assistant before for his high school production of Aladdin. He is known to his friends as funny, welcoming, and reliable, and has a deep love for music, theater, and video games. He is very excited to continue his work here in theatre at Russell Sage College.
Eleah Jayne Peal (Movement Choreographer), she/her, is a fight & movement choreographer, director, performer, and education artist working with stage companies and performing arts education programs in the capital region of NY. Eleah holds a B.F.A. in Acting (SUNY Fredonia) with extensive training in performance, multiple areas of movement, and classical text. Gaining an M.S. in Organization Management (RSC), Eleah acts as administrative support for TIS and as an adjunct professor for the Performing Arts Department/Theatre Institute. Eleah enjoys exploring these engaging and active stories on stage, and thanks the entire company for working hard on this production. www.eleahjaynepeal.net
Vinny Pruchnick (Sound & Projections Designer) is a professional sound designer in the Capital Region of NY. Before settling into sound, they have been seen on stage at TIS as Mr. Kraler in The Diary of Anne Frank and Dr. Grimwig in Oliver! He has also been the stage manager for Wolves, Songs For A New World, and The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley. In the Summer of 2022, he had the pleasure of being the audio engineer at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox where they worked on numerous professional shows such as An Illiad, A Walk In The Woods, and Hymn. Working hard in the community, Vinny directed Forgotten and Puffs! or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years At A Certain School of Magic at Steamer No. 10 Theatre. Over the summer, Vinny will be the resident Sound Supervisor for Dorset Theatre Festival. He would like to thank his family and friends for being so supportive of him doing the theatre and the time commitments it requires. He would also like to thank Sylvie for being the best daughter ever, and Reggie for always supporting him and pushing him to be the best he can be.
Jennifer Raineri (Costume Designer) is glad to join the team for Dragons Love Tacos as she wraps up her first year at Sage. She holds an MFA in Costume Design and Production from The University of Alabama. Her career has brought her to several regional theaters/colleges across the East Coast, including Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and Connecticut Repertory Theatre. Last year she had the fortunate opportunity to present her own fashion collection at New York Fashion Week at an emerging designers exhibition through Albright College, where she received her BA in Costume Design. She looks forward to the next season of shows and hopes you come back!
Alena Samoray (Lighting Designer) is excited to join the Theatre Institute at Russell Sage for the final show of their 2023-2024 season. Over the last fifteen years, she has designed dozens of productions including theatre, dance, opera, performance art, concerts, and film both locally and internationally, most recently designing Head Over Heels and The Wedding Singer for Park Playhouse in Albany. Alena recently received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has a BA from California State University, East Bay.
Danielle Stallone (Assistant Stage Manager/Mom) is a sophomore Musical Theater major. She has been involved in many different shows between Hauppauge High School, Productions Over The Rainbow, and Russell Sage College. Some of her more recent shows include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] (Narrator #6), Grease (Radio Singer/Featured Dancer), Mary Poppins (Ensemble), Ladies How Dare You! (Myrtle), Junie B. Jones the Musical (Bobbi Jean Piper/Camille), and She Kills Monsters (Evil Gabbi). She is excited to help out with Dragons Love Tacos and to be part of this experience! Enjoy the show!
Paul Sweet (Technical Director/Scenic Builder) is relatively new to Sage as a technical director and occasional designer. His previous work has included overhire for The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Drew University. Paul spent summers at the Virginia Theatre Festival and the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts. He attended an automation intensive at The Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas through a scholarship awarded for his scenic design for Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls, presented at a region two gathering of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Some other of Paul’s favorite shows from his undergraduate experience at Lycoming College include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged, Revised), Arsenic and Old Lace, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Threepenny Opera.
Jesse White (Scenic Designer) is a freelance Scenic Designer out of Philadelphia PA. Previously he worked for Adirondack Studios designing scenery for theme parks and museums such as Disneyland, Universal Studios and Meow Wolf. Jesse Graduated from the University of Memphis with his MFA in technical theatre where he was scenic designer for productions such as Oklahoma, Spring Awakening, Die Fledermaus and The Beggars Opera.
A Note of Thanks to Our Audience
As we begin the new season, we would like to thank you for your support of the Theatre Institute at Russell Sage. Every production is an opportunity to teach our students performance skills that can only be learned in front of an active and engaged audience. There are many places to see good theatre in the Capital Region and we appreciate you choosing to attend this performance. If you enjoyed the show, please tell a friend!
Last season, the Theatre Institute at Russell Sage entertained 5,764 students in the 2022-23 season with live theatre productions and provided educational opportunities for more than 100 students through school workshops, high school internships as well as classes and camps for youth.
This year, TIS jumped into action with Qui Nguyen’s 2011 play She Kills Monsters and then a December revival of Benjamin Franklinstein the Musical! after a successful premiere last season. This spring, students will learn through a musical adaptation of Lois Lowry’s inspiring story Number the Stars, following a Danish family who helps their Jewish friends and neighbors escape during World War II (February). Coming April, the Theatre Institute will offer a workshop reading of a new musical version of Robin Hood from the team that brought audiences Backbeard the Musical! and Benjamin Franklinstein the Musical! To close our season in May, young audiences can join the yummy, fun adventures of Dragons Love Tacos.
We are delighted to be able to present live theatre and feel fortunate to have you join us. Please come back and see us again. It’s our honor and pleasure to bring these works of literature to you and young audiences.
Warmly,
Your Friends at TIS
Special Thanks
- RSC Facilities/Maintenance
- RSC Communications
- RSC Visual Arts (Albany)
- Lori Maki
- Tamara Hansen
- Heather Hamelin
- Lynne Roblin
- Eileen Schuyler