Nearly four years ago I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. At the time I honestly didn’t think I’d be around writing this today. I found myself in a place to make a choice: “Let my battles be over” or “Stand-up and take charge!” I chose the latter.  

With this in mind it was time to act on a dream I’d had for decades: to revive the greatest show I was ever involved in, “The Last Dragon,” which was produced through University Theatre at University of Oregon in 1984. Long gone but not forgotten, it was an original show from the minds and hearts of some students and faculty. It was performed for only one run.   

After convincing two of my closest friends – Robert Hicks, who played the lead Adam, and John “Manny” Mansfield, the “Dragon’s” musical director and composer of some of the music – to participate, I had the seed I needed to move forward.   

I asked for and gained approval from the show’s six copyright holders and then began calling the original cast to see if they were interested in participating in “The Last Dragon” revival. To my delight nearly everyone said yes.   

Not only would we be having an incredible experience, we’d be doing it under the premise of beginning a scholarship fund for theater students at our alma mater, UO.  Yes is the word that has become my mantra in life. Yes to chasing your dreams. Yes to not giving in. And yes to taking on life’s challenges.  

Everything almost came to a halt when we couldn’t track down a script. The script and music were buried and unreachable in the Washington DC copyright archives and after 40 years no one from our cast could find a copy.   We thought the opportunity was lost until months later when Brian McCarthy, who plays the Unicorn in the show, was digging around his garage one day and came across the watermarked Holy Grail, his script from the production. We had a green light.  

Over the next six months we experienced a rollercoaster of emotions and obstacles that this tight-knit group overcame time and time again. The cast and musicians were spread out all over the world including Boston, New York, Wyoming, Los Angeles, Seattle, Eugene, Portland and even Australia. We rehearsed on Zoom calls. We communicated through emails, text messages and phone calls. This was no ordinary theater production. We overcame our challenges through our determination, talent, and remarkable past and present relationships with one another. 

I am honored to be a part of such an extraordinary gaggle. And with the support of additional cast and crew with the same heart and love for the theater as our UO alumni group, we will proudly present the revival of “The Last Dragon: a Rock Musical Fantasy!” in Portland for one weekend in August.   

As teen Adam sang to the Dragon to help get his fire and pride back, “Stand up and take charge! Cause the power’s in your mind. If you want it, it’s yours, it’s time to open those doors, cause you’re the last one of your kind! You say your fire is out, but there’s no time for doubt, ‘cause your light still shines!" 

--- Damon Jones ’84, owner, Actors in Action  

• Watch Jones interviewed on FOX 12 Now.  
• Get tickets for the show: Use code aia for 25% discount  
• Donate to give a theater student help to follow their dreams. 

 
Plot of “The Last Dragon”  
A troubled teen falls asleep after singing his little sister a lullaby on her birthday and is transported into a world of fantasy where an evil sorceress and her henchman panthers are collecting the last ones of their kind including a dodo bird, gryphon, unicorn, and a minotaur. And she keeps "hope" a prisoner as well. She sends our young hero on a quest to the last dragon's lair to find a magic opal that will let her control the world. This classic good vs evil story is an all-ages pleaser with all original music, dancing, laughter, and is filled with messages that encourage everyone to stand up and take charge because we all are the last ones of our kind.   

Lyrics by:                                                                        
Christopher Foote                                                         
Melanie Leslie                                                                
John Mansfield                                                                

Music by: 
John Mansfield 
Christopher Foote 
Melanie Leslie 
 
Book by Mike Maples 
Original Choreography by Melanie Leslie 
Original Costume Design by Jerry Williams 
 
Book Revisions: 
Rob Sackett, Jean Robison, and Robert Hicks 

Dedicated to and In Memory of: 
Christopher Foote, co-composer and original guitar 
Grant McKernie, original director 
Brian Marchington, original Carnod