Rehearsals Begin For Los Angeles Premiere Of “Dragon Mama” At Geffen Playhouse

REHEARSALS BEGIN FOR LOS ANGELES PREMIERE OF “DRAGON MAMA” AT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY SARA PORKALOB AND DIRECTED BY ANDREW RUSSELL

PREVIEWS BEGIN MARCH 4 - OPENING NIGHT IS MARCH 12

LOS ANGELES (February 17, 2026) – Rehearsals begin today for Geffen Playhouse’s Los Angeles premiere production of Dragon Mama, written and performed by Sara Porkalob (Dragon Lady, 1776) and directed by Andrew Russell (Stu for Silverton, John Baxter is a Switch Hitter).

Previews for Dragon Mama begin Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Geffen Playhouse. Opening night is Thursday, March 12, 2026.

Broadway star Sara Porkalob returns to Geffen Playhouse for the second installment of The Dragon Cycle. In this next chapter, Maria Porkalob, Jr. dreams of a bigger, gayer life beyond Bremerton, WA. But when an unexpected chance to escape arises, she faces an impossible choice—stay with her struggling family or chase freedom in the wilds of Alaska. Packed with ghosts, Filipino gangsters, and a killer ’90s R&B soundtrack, this award-winning, high-octane solo show is a raw, hilarious, and deeply moving story of resilience, queer love, and what it takes to break free and find home.

The first installment of The Dragon Cycle, Dragon Lady, had its Los Angeles premiere at Geffen Playhouse in September 2024 as part of Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney's inaugural 2024/2025 season lineup.

Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.

DRAGON MAMA
Part II of The Dragon Cycle
Written & Performed by Sara Porkalob
Directed by Andrew Russell

Previews: March 4, 2026 – March 11, 2026
Opening Night: March 12, 2026
Closing Night: April 12, 2026

PRODUCTION TEAM
Scenic Designer Randy Wong-Westbrooke
Costume Designer Sarah Lindsley
Lighting Designer Spense Matubang
Sound Designer Erin Bednarz
Production Stage Manager Nick Carvalho

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Monday, Tuesday No performance
Wednesday, Thursday 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 p.m.

LOCATION
Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets currently priced at $36.00 - $139.00. Available by phone at 310.208.2028 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org. Fees may apply.

All Geffen Playhouse productions are intended for an adult audience; children under 10 years of age will not be admitted.

Rush tickets for each day’s performance are made available to the general public one hour before showtime at the box office. $40.00 General/$20.00 Student.

COLLEGE AUDIENCES
Through a variety of events and other opportunities, Geffen Playhouse welcomes college students to experience the live storytelling presented on our stages. We are proud of our association with UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, and open our doors to all college students throughout Los Angeles. More information is available at www.geffenplayhouse.org/college.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Sara Porkalob (Playwright & Performer)
Sara Porkalob is so excited to be back at the Geffen Playhouse! She is a writer, cultural worker, and creator behind The Dragon Cycle, a trilogy of matrilineal musicals about her Filipina-American gangster family; one play for each generation built around a central female protagonist. The first in the cycle, Dragon Lady, premiered at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre in 2017, with awards including three 2018 Gregory Awards for Outstanding Sound/Music Design, Outstanding Actress in a Musical, and Outstanding Musical Production, and a 2023 San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Choice for Solo Performance. The second in the cycle, Dragon Mama, premiered at American Repertory Theatre in 2019, with awards including two Elliot Norton Awards for Outstanding New Script and Outstanding Solo Performance, and the 2023 Craig Noel’s Outstanding Lead Performance in San Diego. The final play, Dragon Baby, is currently under a Geffen Playhouse finishing commission. She is a 2021 recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Theater. Broadway: “Edward Rutledge” in 1776. She’s also a Creative Consultant with the City of Seattle and their Creative Strategies Initiative (CSI), a new city effort that uses arts- and culture-based approaches to build racial and gender equity in non-arts policy areas like the environment, housing, workforce, and community development. She is currently writing her first feature film and hopes to adapt The Dragon Cycle for television one day. Socials: @sporkalob, www.saraporkalob.com

Andrew Russell (Director)
Andrew Russell is a writer and director who creates new work often inspired by real-life events, including Stu for Silverton (Intiman Theatre); John Baxter is a Switch Hitter (Intiman Theatre); Full Gallop (The Old Globe); and Sara Porkalob’s The Dragon Cycle, featuring Dragon Lady (Intiman Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Geffen Playhouse), Dragon Mama (American Repertory Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival), and Dragon Baby (in development). As Producing Artistic Director of the Tony Award–winning Intiman Theatre in Seattle from 2011-2017, Andrew played a critical role in reorganizing and reopening the theater after its closure in 2011. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. @heyheyandyk

2025/2026 SEASON SPONSOR
S. Mark Taper Foundation

ABOUT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the not-for-profit organization continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates and is currently helmed by Executive Director/CEO Gil Cates, Jr., Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney and Board Chair Mary Ann Cloyd. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved young people and the community at large in the arts. www.geffenplayhouse.org