Backgrounds
The shows:

DRAGON SCALES & FAERIE TALES started as a costume tribute to Anne McCaffrey, author of the Dragonriders of Pern series. Animal played the dragon, who was originally accompanied by a tamer.

When Animal was invited to be the queen of a California ren fest she countered with an offer to be the queen of the fairies and to bring her dragon with her. From there the performance evolved into an entire show. To appeal to a broader audience Animal made it about a baby hatching, and the dragon tamer became its fairy godmother.

DRAGON SCALES & FAIRY TALES has become our most requested show because of its appeal to all ages.

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The first concept for THE SNOW QUEENS MAGIC TRUNK SHOW actually revolved around an old trunk that AX already had. She wanted doors and windows that would open and have interesting things popping out. Then DWP was contracted to do a performance based on the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. As Albion was going through a list of the stories he came across the one about a flying trunk and realized that here was the through-line needed to make the show work.

In the original story it was a fairy that interacted with the trunk, but the decision was made to substitute her with the Snow Queen, who is one of HCA’s more famous characters.

THE SNOW QUEEN’S MAGIC TRUNK SHOW enchants on many levels

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TEW was developed because fairs and expositions began wanting “lane” shows - that is performers and performances that would roam the event, thus reaching a larger audience.

The criteria she worked with initially called for something big, tall, colorful, and magical - something people would love to take pictures of and with, and would remember forever. Originally she was going to have a giant hedgehog with a rider, but then she remembered a beloved pet from her childhood, a box turtle. From there she decided that it needed a gypsy vardo (aka wagon) on its back, and the rider became a driver - that hedgehog.

The costume has the feel of a kaleidoscope, a recurring theme for Animal since she loves the adventure of revealing multiple things in a single event. She has incorporated many layers of interactive and tactile features in both the turtle and the vardo so that the viewing public has the pleasure of discovery. She also made it so that it could work as a stage show.

There is a true sense of wonder that people feel when they see the THE ENCHANTED WAGON approaching.

Our people are vital to the success of DWP and we wish to acknowledge them here -
AX - Owner/ head designer/performer
AM - GM/Bookings/Head Puppeteer
JK - Office Rep & performer
DM - performer

Faerie Citadel
KM - online sales & wings

DREAMWEAVER PRODUCTIONS was born in 1989, the collaboration of Animal X and several other artists who envisioned the company as an umbrella organization that could help their friends who were starving artists as worked toward their own dreams.

Children and adult theatrical shows, performance art, manufacturing and selling fairy wings – these are some of the results DWP has brought forth over the years.

DreamWeaver Productions is about weaving magic into the drab fabric of reality.

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Animal X – Owner/Head Designer/Performer

Animal X was born to be a creator. She helped make her first pair of fairy wings at age 4, learned to sew at age five and was making paper dolls and their furniture all during her childhood.

She thought she wanted to be a veterinarian, but it was not to be. Instead she was granted early admission into Parson School of Design in New York City at age 16 as a fashion major. But what they were teaching her was not what she was meant to learn. She transferred to School of Visual Arts to learn illustration, but eventually realized that her forte lay in something that was not being taught at either school – costuming.

Striking out on her own, Animal became known as an innovator – she is credited with the Madonna corset look and of being one of the influences of fashion during the punk era and into the 80’s

She opened her own store and was a contributor (wholesaling) to others. MTV videos, movies, television, theatre. She was a contributor to all of these. She had her own band – Animal and the Amazons, and they traveled around the world to perform.

She left it all behind in 1987 for the sake of her son, feeling that he needed a more stable setting. Moving to Pittsburgh allowed her to head in a new direction and from there DWP emerged.

The one thing Animal is particularly proud of (besides her son) is her ability to give people of all ages that sense that if only for a moment magic truly exists in the world.

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Albion Minzey - General Manager/Head Puppeteer

Albion Minzey came late to the world of performing, at least the kind that involves him donning a baby dragon costume and entertaining an audience with a bratty but lovable attitude.

He married Animal X in 1996 (in a costumed ceremony, of course) and quickly became a vital part of the organization that is DWP. Along with his performance roles, he also serves as the company’s performance manager, handles bookings and other administrative duties.

His dream is to have a dragon show touring in every state of the union.

Our performers

Jessica Kennedy is overjoyed to work with DreamWeaver Productions as a fairy princess, and office rep. Jessica has been seen performing with the baby dragon at the Michigan State Fair, Michigan Renaissance Festival, Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival, and various fairs and venues in Pennsylvania. Working with the dragon is her absolute favorite show to perform, since she gets to be a beautiful fairy, and also perform for kids!

Jessica has toured nationally with Traveling Lantern Theater Company, and appeared at the Gemini Theater as a fairy, Aladdin's mother, and even an ugly stepsister. Performing for kids in bright and colorful shows is fun, but Jessica also teaches acting workshops for children ages 7 to 18 with The Hope Academy, also based in Pittsburgh.

She has also been seen on mainstream theater stages around Pittsburgh, performing with Shakespeare in the Parks, Pittsburgh Playwright's Theater and with the Improv Comedy Troupe - The Amish Monkeys.

She has also been seen in various films and commercials based out of the Pittsburgh area. You can see more about Jessica on her website, www.JessLKennedy.com

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Davon Magwood is relatively new to DWP. A recent graduate of Schenley H.S. in Pittsburgh PA, (2005 class president) he has plans to go to film school, and is also an aspiring writer.

He has appeared as the dragon at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival, and performed at Pittsburgh Scarehouse.

He gets great satisfaction from performing and interacting with people of all ages

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Stephanie Smith is another new addition to the DWP family. Throughout high school she served as a student director and actress, and has recently participated in an independent film.

For DWP : she has appeared as a fairy at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival, and the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also performs with the band Unsung Lies.

Stephanie is from Perryopolis, PA, and aspires to be a musical theatre actress.