Charleston Stage, now celebrating its 48th Season, is South Carolina’s largest professional theatre company in residence at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Charleston Stage’s acclaimed full-scale productions light up the stage with stunning scenery, dazzling costumes, and brilliant lights! Productions feature a Professional Resident Acting Company and over 100 professional actors, singers, designers and theatre artists. All performances take place at the Historic Dock Street Theatre, “America’s First Theatre,” in the heart of downtown Charleston.
ABOUT THE PLAY:
Written by Ernie Nolan
Based on the book by
Adam Rubin
and Illustrated by Daniel
Salmieri
In Dragons Love Tacos, a young boy discovers a crucial truth: dragons love tacos. Whether it's chicken, beef, or big or small, dragons just can't get enough! But there's one big rule: no spicy salsa. When a taco party goes wrong because of some sneaky spicy salsa, chaos and laughter unfold in this fun, fast-paced, and heartwarming play. Based on the bestselling picture book, this stage adaptation is perfect for young audiences, promoting creativity, problem-solving, and storytelling.
RUN TIME:
Approximately 60-70 minutes without Intermission
AGE RECOMMENDATION:
Grades PreK–3 (Ages 4–9)
Fun, accessible language and visuals make this show ideal for early elementary students and families.
BACKGROUND INFO
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Ernie Nolan – Playwright & Director
Ernie Nolan is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts educator dedicated to creating theatre for young audiences. He is the Executive Artistic Director of Nashville Children’s Theatre and formerly served as Producing Artistic Director at Emerald City Theatre in Chicago Nolan has written and directed numerous adaptations of beloved children’s books, known for infusing humor, heart, and inclusivity into his work.
In adapting Dragons Love Tacos, Nolan transforms Adam Rubin’s imaginative story into an interactive theatrical experience that honors the spirit of the book while encouraging children to think creatively, laugh freely, and engage deeply.
Adam Rubin - Book Author
Adam Rubin is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of a dozen critically-acclaimed picture books El Chupacabras (illustrated by Crash McCreery) was voted winner of the Texas Bluebonnet award in 2020. The Ice Cream Machine, his first collection of stories for middle-grade readers, received a starred review from School & Library Journal. Adam also has a keen interest in magic tricks, puzzles and optical illusions. In fact, he is the official "Director of Puzzles & Games" for the modern wonder emporium, Art of Play.
Daniel Salmiere - Book Illustrator
Daniel Salmieri grew up drawing ninja turtles, fighter jets and 90's Knicks players. He has since gone on to create illustrations for award-winning children's books and the New York Times. Dan lives with his wife Sophia and their dog Ronni in Brooklyn, NY, where he was born and raised
CONTENT ADVISORY
Silly mischief and playful chaos (e.g., dragons setting things on fire).
No frightening content, violence, or mature language.
TOPICS AND THEMES
Food & friendship
Cause and effect
Problem-solving
Party planning and teamwork
Humor and imagination
SC STATE EDUCATION STANDARDS
English Language Arts (K–2)
K.RL.1.2 / 1.RL.1.2 / 2.RL.1.2
Retell familiar stories, including key details; demonstrate understanding of central message or lesson.
K.W.2.3 / 1.W.2.3 / 2.W.2.3
Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate events and express ideas
K.CC.4 / 1.CC.4
Count objects and connect numbers to quantities.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Taco Tally Math Game
Goal: Practice counting and simple addition.
Activity: Create "taco topping cards" (lettuce, cheese, etc.). Have students build tacos with a certain number of toppings, count them, and write an equation (e.g., 2 + 3 = 5).
2. Create-Your-Own Dragon
Goal: Develop descriptive writing and illustration skills.
Activity: Students draw their own dragon and write a short story about what it eats (besides tacos), where it lives, and what it loves to do.
3. Salsa Sorting Science
Goal: Introduce sorting and sensory vocabulary.
Activity: Bring in salsa ingredients or images. Have students sort "spicy" and "not spicy" foods and explain their reasoning
4. Drama Circle: Dragon Party Planning
Goal: Promote speaking and listening
Activity: Students take turns pretending to be a dragon planning a party. Classmates ask questions like, “What will you serve?” and “What games will you play?”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Before the Show
What do you think dragons are like?
Why do you think dragons like tacos?
During/After the Show
What happened when the dragons ate spicy salsa?
What was the boy’s big mistake?
How did the characters fix the problem?
What lesson did you learn from the story?
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
1. Design a Taco Restaurant
Students draw and label a menu for a dragon-friendly restaurant. Practice vocabulary and writing skills.
2. Puppet Play
Create dragon or taco puppets and reenact scenes or invent new ones using storytelling techniques.
3. Recipe Writing
Students write a step-by-step recipe for a taco they think a dragon would love (or hate!) Reinforces sequencing and procedural writing
ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Oral Presentations:
Evaluate speaking and listening skills during drama circle and puppet play.
Written Work:
Assess descriptive and procedural writing in dragon stories and taco recipes.
Math Skills:
Observe addition and number recognition during taco tally.
RECOMMENDED READING PAIRINGS
Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel by Adam Rubin
How to Catch a Dragon by Adam Wallace
Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt (great for voice and perspective)
THEATRE EDUCATION
Acting Classes
200+ Students Attend Acting Classes After School
Charleston Stage’s TheatreSchool offers classes year-round, for students from kindergarten through 8th grade at Charleston Stage’s West Ashley Theatre Center. Acting classes for students of all ages and abilities are taught by members of Charleston Stage’s Professional Resident Acting Company. Classes range from beginning classes
to performance workshops and troupes. We now offer a full-year registration. Tuition scholarships are available for need-based students. Register online today at CharlestonStage.com/education
ArtReach In-School Workshops
Bringing Professional Actors Into the Classroom
Charleston Stage’s Professional Resident Actors provide dynamic workshops in area schools throughout the Lowcountry. Workshops use theatrical skills to teach academic subjects and can be combined with a school matinee performance experience. For information on booking ArtReach workshops, contact Rylee Coppel, Director of Education and Engagement, at rcoppel@charlestonstage.com or (843) 225-3900
TheatreWings High School Apprenticeships A Tuition-Free Apprentice Program For Teens
The TheatreWings High School Apprentice Program is designed to allow talented young people the opportunity to work directly with theatre professionals and gain first-hand experience in professional theatrical production. Students explore stage management, lighting and sound, as well as set, prop, and costume design and construction. Designed for highly dedicated students, TheatreWings requires more than 100+ hours of apprenticeship each season. For more information, email
TheatreWings Co-Coordinators Ravyn Meador or Caleb Garner at wings@charlestonstage.com.
For more information on our Education programs, call the Education Office at (843) 225-3900 or visit CharlestonStage.com/education.
DOCK STREET THEATRE
For almost 300 years audiences have delighted in performances at the Historic Dock Street Theatre which stands on the site of the very first theatre building in America which opened its doors in 1736. The current building, originally The Planter’s Hotel was built in 1803 and in 1937 was converted into the Dock Street Theatre know today. Charleston Stage presents over 150 performances at the Historic Dock Street Theatre playing to theatre goers from every state in the union and many foreign countries. The Dock Street Theatre, newly renovated in 2010, is currently owned and managed by the City of Charleston. Other performing arts groups including Spoleto Festival USA perform here annually
On February 12, 1736 the Dock Street Theatre opened with a performance of The Recruiting Officer. Built on the corner of Church Street and Dock Street (now known as Queen Street), the Historic Dock Street Theatre was the first building in America built exclusively to be used for theatrical performances. Flora, the first opera performance in America, took place at the Historic Dock Street Theatre.
The original Dock Street Theatre was probably destroyed by the Great Fire of 1740 which destroyed many of the buildings in Charleston’s French Quarter. In 1809, the Planter’s Hotel was built on this site and in 1835 the wrought iron balcony and sandstone columns of the Church Street facade were added. A number of notable persons worked and patronized the Planter’s Hotel including the noted 19th Century actor Junius Brutus Booth (father of Edwin and John Wilkes Booth). Robert Smalls, an African-American Civil War hero, who stole a steamboat in the harbor and sailed it out past the Confederate-held Ft. Sumter and turned it over to the blockading Union Fleet, served as a waiter in the hotel’s dining room prior to the war. Charleston’s famed Planter’s Punch was first introduced here
After the Civil War, the Planter’s Hotel fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition. But in 1935, after Milton Pearlstine made the property available to the City of Charleston and at the urging of Mayor Burnet Maybank and other notable citizens, the original building became a Depression Era WPA (Works Progress Administration) project. At that time, the present theatre was constructed within the shell of the Planter’s Hotel. The hotel’s grand
DOCK STREET THEATRE
foyer became the grand foyer of the theatre and the hotel’s dining room now serves as the box office lobby. The beautiful woodwork and mantels of the second-floor drawing room were salvaged from the Radcliffe-King Mansion (circa 1799) which stood at the corner of George and Meeting Streets and was razed to build the College of Charleston gymnasium, another WPA project. Modeled on eighteenth century London playhouses by Charleston architect Albert Simons, the present Dock Street Theatre’s new stage house and auditorium were built in the hotel’s courtyard. The local carpenters who were put to work as a part of this Depression era relief effort utilized locally grown and milled native black cypress for the beautiful warm wooden interior. Following this $350,000 renovation,
The Historic Dock Street Theatre’s second grand opening took place on November 26, 1937. Notables in the audience included author DuBose Heyward (Porgy) who was named writerin-residence.
The Historic Dock Street Theatre reopened for the third time on March 18, 2010 after a three-year, $19 million dollar renovation by the City of Charleston. This extensive full-scale renovation brought the historic theatre into the 21st century with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, modern heating and air conditioning, and new restrooms and seating. In addition, the theatre was made seismically secure and fully handicapped accessible. Extensive soundproofing was added to ensure that outside noises no longer intruded on performances inside
