Dragon Baby at American Repertory Theater

Monday, NOVEMBER 16 at 7:30PM

Join "theatermaker to watch" (American Theatre) and Elliot Norton Award-winning storyteller Sara Porkalob (Dragon Lady, Dragon Mama, 1776 upcoming), composer Brian Quijada, and director Andrew Russell (Dragon Lady, Dragon Mama), for a conversation about the development of Dragon Baby, the final chapter in Porkalob's autobiographical trilogy about three generations of Filipino Americans descended from gangsters and karaoke singers fighting to survive, thrive, and love. In this interactive session, learn about the team's collaborative process, experience never-before-heard songs from the show, and engage in an autobiographical storytelling exercise.

After traversing 50 years of faulty family memories and dark secrets from Grandma Maria's fantastical life in Dragon Lady and Maria Porkalob, Jr.,'s 25 years of queer love in a barren land in Dragon Mama, Sara challenges society's definition of a "Great American Musical" and asks who gets to decide the standards as she writes her own story her way in Dragon Baby.

Prior to the event, Behind the Scenes: Dragon Baby ticket holders are encouraged to purchase a ticket to attend the virtual launch celebration of A.R.T.'s archival recording of Dragon Mama on Thursday, NOVEMBER 12 at 7:30PM, streaming as part of the Virtually OBERON series through DECEMBER 10.

About Dragon Mama: How does a Dragon earn her wings? Maria Porkalob, Jr. yearns for a gayer, more POC-filled life than Bremerton, WA can offer. When presented with an opportunity to make a quick fortune, Maria must make an important decision: leave her debt-ridden mother, four young siblings, and newborn daughter Sara for the wild unknown of Alaska, or stay close to home, family, and intergenerational trauma. Traversing 25 years filled with queer love in a barren land, the 2019 Elliot Norton Award-winning Dragon Mama features ghosts, Filipino gangsters, and a dope 90s R&B soundtrack.