Dragon Up
By Maggie Lou Rader
Directed by Heather Burns
Nancy Niles Sexton Stage
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Performance Schedule:
Saturday, December 2nd at 12:30pm and 5:00pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the Show:
Oro the Dragon just turned twelve, is struggling to learn to breathe fire to be a “real” dragon, and now finds himself in charge of guarding the great dragon treasure. However, when he’s arguing with Meetra, the Muskrat Knight, a monster steals the treasure from under their snouts.
Will Oro and Meetra find the treasure? Will they learn how to express their emotions and resolve conflict in a healthy way? Find out in Dragon Up! This interactive fairy tale makes room for laughter in the witty adventure while thoughtfully connecting with kids’ worries and how to tackle them. A Blue Apple Outreach production teaching social emotional learning skills.
This is a Family Friendly Show! All ages are welcome!
Length of show: 45 minutes + Q&A with the actors
There is no intermission for this production.
Late seating policy: Use caution when entering the theatre after the show begins. We’ll do our best to help you get situated.
Special thanks to Snowy Owl Foundation, Kentucky Arts Council, Fund for the Arts, Norton Foundation, Gheens Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cast & Creative:
Tony Smith: Oro the Dragon
Meg Caudill: Meetra the Muskrat Knight, Daddy Dragon, Ogre, Witch, Troll
Tessa McShane: Understudy - all of the above!
SURPRISE GUEST PERFORMER: Dreaded Teacher Monster
Heather Burns: Director
Lindsay Chamberlin: Costume Designer, Ogre/Witch Puppets
Hannah Brooks: Props Artisan, Meetra/Oro puppets, Media Design & Illustrations
H.T.M.L. team: Design & Build of Daddy Dragon
(H.T.M.L. stands for Heather Burns, Tony Dingman, Meg Caudill and Lindsay Chamberlain)
Kirsty Pargeter: Polygonal Mountain Landscape* *available through Vecteezy
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the playwright:
Maggie Lou Rader
An award-winning playwright, member of the Dramatist’s Guild and AEA Actor, Maggie Lou Rader (she/her/hers) tells epic stories of epic women. Her work has been published and seen regionally and Off-Broadway. She's obtained degrees from William Jewell College in Kansas City and the Birmingham School of Acting in the UK and has called Cincinnati home for nearly 10 years. She has been the winner of The Theater J Patty Abramson Jewish Play Prize and the Notre Dame College New Play festival, a finalist for the Henley Rose Playwrighting Award for Women, Central Florida Community Arts TYA New Play and Musical Festival, as well as a semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Garry Marshall Theatre New Works Festival, Dayton Playhouse’s Future Fest, and UP Theater's Renewal Reading Series. She’s has had the privilege of having her work developed at DePaul University, Inkwell Theatre, Skeleton Rep, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Her plays have been seen at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, InBocca Performance, The Marsh, Utah Shakespeare Festival Words Cubed, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare, Urban Stages, Theatre Pro Rata, and colleges from coast to coast. She’s also been published with Smith and Kraus Madwomen in the Attic.
As a performer, she has performed in over 75 professional productions with Know Theatre of Cincinnati, StageOne, The Human Race Theatre, Kentucky Shakespeare, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, The Kitchen Theatre, and has been a resident actor with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for 12 seasons. In Cincinnati, she lives happily on her homestead with husband Justin, and three fur babies with four eyes between them.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bios
Heather Burns (Director) has directed Henry VIII, Richard III, A Wrinkle in Time, Blue Stockings, She Kills Monsters, The Selkie Wife and Frankenstein (with Meg Caudill) for Walden Conservatory at CTC. She has also directed for Blue Apple Outreach touring productions and CTC Summer Academies. Heather has served as the Outreach Director for CTC since 2015 and was previously the Education Director for Blue Apple Players since 2006. Heather is grateful to Tony, Ambrose and her parents for supporting her artistic work.
Meg Caudill (Meetra the Muskrat Knight, Daddy Dragon, Ogre, Witch, Troll) is an actor, director, and instructor at CTC where she serves as Education Resource Manager. She is excited to be back on tour (with Tony!) after previously performing in The Ugly Duckling (Daphne Duck) and Rumplestiltskin (Mrs. Moniker). As Meetra says, “Dream big! Be kind! And know that you can be anything you want to be.”
Lindsay Chamberlin (Costume Designer) is excited to be in her eighth season at Commonwealth Theatre. Starting in Halloween costume design, she moved to theatrical work at Actors Theatre of Louisville as the Assistant Costume Designer eleven years ago. She has worked with several local companies including Pandora Productions, Theatre 502, Liminal Playhouse, Bellarmine University, Hardin County Performing Arts Center, Josephine Sculpture Park Summer Shakespeare and is an active company member with Looking for Lilith Theatre Company.
Hannah Greene (Props Designer) is a local theatrical artist who has been active in the theatre scene for the last six years, working with companies including Bunbury Theatre Company, The Kentucky Opera, and Looking for Lilith. They joined the CTC family in March of 2020. When Hannah isn’t working on theatre you can usually catch them drawing or making stickers! Thanks to Colt, who has supported them through all their artistic endeavors.
Tessa McShane (Understudy/Swing all roles and Artistic/Performance Support) is an actor, director, and teaching artist from Louisville Kentucky. Tessa is the Manager of Student affairs at Commonwealth Theatre Center, and has worked with CTC in some capacity since 2019. Tessa has also had the pleasure of working with other organizations in Louisville, including The Bridge Theatre, Three Witches Shakespeare, Kentucky Shakespeare, Looking for Lilith Theatre Company, and The Kentucky Opera.
Tony Smith (Oro the Dragon) Tony has been a part of CTC Outreach since 2015, has been performing on stages around Louisville and surrounding areas for the better part of 20 years. A graduate of the Youth Performing Arts School, he secured his first professional acting job as a company member of the American Theater Arts for Youth, based in Philadelphia, PA. Since that time, he has performed with Stage One, Derby Dinner Playhouse, Actor’s Theater of Louisville, The Bard’s Town Theater, as well as directing and choreographing various productions for the Alley Theater and the Bard’s Town Theater. He’s also a proud member of the Vava Vixens Burlesque Troupe. He is thrilled to be a part of this production, and he hopes you enjoy the journey!
*There are no refunds or exchanges for this production. If tickets are not claimed at the door five minutes before the performance, they are subject to be given to patrons on the waiting list. Thank you for your understanding.*
