Media Archive

The production features the actors cooking in real-time as they explore themes of grief and distance, both geographical and generational. “If they are cooking something together, they are sharing the smells and the noises and suddenly there is one ambiance,” [playwright Zuabi] said. “If you are cooking a burger and I am cooking a burger, there are a lot of things that can help bridge these two walls of glass that we talk through.”

A mutual theatrical world is created with the audience as they sit in on this Zoom call and experience this family’s emotions. The intimacy of a virtual production, seeing into the actors’ homes, viewing their emotions and reactions up close in a way you never could on stage, packs a powerful punch in this show.

In many ways, the collaborative creation reflects the themes that composer/playwright Julia Riew ’21 instilled in the book, music, and lyrics. “I wanted to write a show that was very, very uplifting and positive and happy. Not only because it’s a children’s show, but also because that’s the kind of show that people need right now,” said Riew, speaking from her family home in Connecticut.

Kaovanny said, “The show will be so dope because you’ll get a little taste of everything. You can’t get bored.”

“It’s all 100 percent true. The Dragon Cycle was never meant to be my memoir alone,” says Porkalob. “I’m literally trying on my family’s different perspectives around a series of events.”

The Boston rapper’s newest track is a chin-up, walking-on-air view of the meaningful joys of life.

The Boston singer-songwriter talks to NPR Music about singing in choirs, healing through songwriting, and being inspired by The Lion King.

“I had this theory that if I could talk about the show, I could share the research I’ve been doing, I could do a table read, go over the music—if we could plant all these seeds, then once the workshop was over, we could continue to grow the seed,” Paulus said. “That was my practical idea. But what happened was this extraordinary emotional bonding, which I never would have anticipated happening.”