Photo credit for cover photo: Wes Carter
In June 2022, after realizing that many Dragon Con attendees wanted more focus on musicals at Dragon Con, Sarah Rose established a group dedicated to theater lovers who attend the annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
With the creation of the Facebook group called, appropriately, Dragon Con Theater and Performing Arts Lovers (unofficial), Sarah and co-admin Gary Mitchel post content to encourage members to ask Dragon Con to add a theater track to the schedule in the future. Sarah says, “Theater and performance, whether plays/musicals, dance, magic, burlesque, etc., are all very influential parts of pop culture. It seems to be a no-brainer that the theater should be part of Dragon Con in a more official capacity.”
But what would a theater track panel look like? We had a bit of a glimpse into that this year, with interactive programming such as The Phantom of the Opera Sing-a-long, a panel that nearly packed a large ballroom, and we all sang to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s beloved music. Audience members even got up and danced along during “Masquerade,” and the room was filled with the music of the night.
This past year, the group collaborated on 11 fan panels, two sing-alongs (including Phantom), and hosted a meetup, parade group, and photoshoot. The panels ranged from “Thespians of the Final Frontier” with Trek Track to “The Road to Hadestown: Mythology in a Post-Apocalyptic World” with Apocalypse Rising Track, and everything in between. You can see the list of programming and links to four convention-exclusive digital panels here.
And with Broadway and the performing arts so well represented by cosplay at Dragon Con, it seems the perfect addition. There were costumes from Hamilton, Newsies, Pretty Woman, Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, and Six, among others.
So between now and next year’s Dragon Con, Sarah hopes “to continue to provide a home for theater lovers at Dragon Con.” Throughout the year, the group hosts digital panels about related topics, not only about musicals but other types of performing arts. They plan to continue doing this starting in October. Last year, the group did 12 panels, and they hope to do even more this year.
Sarah says that Rachel Reeves, convention co-chair, mentioned adding a theater track during the convention’s wrap-up panel and said it is short-listed. Finding space for a new track is the biggest challenge. Dragon Con has several tracks that require large rooms, and trying to fit another track into the hotels is difficult. Sarah adds optimistically, “That being said, I still believe it’s only a matter of time until the convention adds a theater track. Even if that room could only fit 100 people, we would love to show what we can do. I hope to meet with some of them this year to talk about that.”
So, if you are someone who loves Dragon Con and musical theater, Sarah says, “Use your voice as an attendee to let the Dragon Con powers-that-be know you want a theater track. Rate our panels from this year and comment that you want more theater programming and/or a theater track added in the future. Other tracks have also done programming that we aren’t involved in, but those are also good places to encourage more theater programming. Invite your friends to the group & spread the love of theater in both the official and unofficial groups.”
She also wants to thank the members of the online “troupe” ‘members. Their passion and support have given her the courage to pursue this dream, but whether it becomes a track or solely remains a fan community, she says they are “not going away, so stay tuned!”
