DRAGONS LOVE TACOS to be Presented at Oregon Children's Theatre in February

Oregon Children's Theatre will present Dragons Love Tacos at the Newmark Theatre, located at Portland'5 Center for the Arts, January 22 through February 19. In addition to public performances, OCT will welcome schools back for field trips: daytime performances of Dragons Love Tacos will be offered Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, January 24 through February 17. Field trips can be booked online or by calling the OCT box office.

Based on the New York Times best-selling children's book by Adam Rubin, the story tells a simple tale of a young boy and his dog who encounter a quartet of dancing dragons. Each one has its own unique style and personality, but they all have one thing in common: they're hungry! This hilarious, dance-filled journey into the field of Dragonology teaches kids about the importance of imagination, the value of making mistakes, and that, "with a little drive and determination, amazing things can happen!"

Oregon Children's Theatre first produced Dragons Love Tacos in February 2020, and due to its popular demand OCT decided to bring it back for another season. "This production holds a special place in our hearts at OCT, as it was the last full production we produced before the COVID-19 pandemic forced our doors shut for several years," explained Michael Hammerstrom, Director of Marketing & Development. "This show transports us to a fantasy world where the problems we face aren't quite so complicated, and there's a simple lesson to be learned: Let's not take life too seriously, one taco at a time."

As in the original production, Costume Designer Sydney Dufka Forchielli has used her creative ingenuity to bring the dragons to life: the scale of the dragons will be supersized and innovative, including a creative design that is compatible with one of the actors who will perform in their wheelchair. For this season's production, Forchielli also had the opportunity to redesign some of the original costumes to make them even more exciting and eye-catching. "We wanted to stay true to the original illustrations while adding some wild unique creature details," she explains, "so I focused on taking advantage of the shapes in ways that our actors would be able to use on stage. For example, when I first started sketching ideas on paper, I realized the sheer size of the Red Dragon would determine the scale of all the costumes. When you look at the book illustrations, you notice the length and long neck of the Red Dragon. This meant we had to determine a way to translate my sketches into a lightweight costume that extended well past the size of a typical human! It was exciting to work with our team to determine how to build a costume of that size that did not inhibit the actor's movement."

The cast features four youth performers: Phillip Wells-Benitez and Josh Caveney as the Boy, and Mila Kashiwabara and Ava Wilken as the boy's canine companion, Leroy. The dragon ensemble includes Adam Roper, Tess Raunig, Annabel Cantor, and Liberty Dolence. Matt Sepeda portrays the "Man in the Suit," a mysterious character who introduces the boy to the field of Dragonology and sets the story into motion. Jessica Curtiss and Laura Loy will serve as understudies for the production.

Also returning for this production is Director Jessica Wallenfels, Costume Designer Sydney Dufka Forchielli, Scenic Designer Emily Rusmisel, and Lighting Designer Jennifer Lin. Other members of the creative team include Andrea Parson (Choreographer), Alan Cline (Projections Designer), Rory Stitt (Sound Designer), and Jeff Duncan (Props Designer).

Dragons Love Tacos is a family-friendly production, suitable for children of all ages. The production will perform Saturdays at 2:00 pm & 5:00 pm, and Sundays at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm. Tickets start at $22 and are on-sale now; limited $5 tickets are available through the Regional Arts & Culture Council's Arts for All Program. Tickets can be purchased by visiting octc.org/dragons-love-tacos or by calling the OCT Box Office at (503) 228-9571.

About Oregon Children's Theatre

Founded in 1988, Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) has served well over two million children, teachers, and families. Its mission is to create exceptional theater experiences that transform lives. OCT is Oregon's largest non-profit professional theater for young audiences and a resident company of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts. Performances are held weekdays for school audiences and on weekends for family audiences. OCT offers numerous school services including study guides, teacher professional development opportunities, in-school workshops, and an extensive outreach program. OCT's year-round Acting Academy offers theater classes for children ages 3-18 and the Young Professionals Company, a year-round mentoring program for teens that includes professional level training, education, and public performances.

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