Alumni & History

You're standing on the shoulders of giants.

The Red Dragon Players are one of the oldest continuously-running student theater companies in Texas. These are the alumni — and the memories — behind the curtain.

Through the years

Red Dragon Players Through the Years

More than 115 years of student theater, laid out in four acts. Scroll sideways to travel through the decades — the spacing is proportional, so the busiest seasons take up the most room.

World & AustinAustin HighUIL & AwardsOn stage

How to navigate: Swipe left and right to move through the timeline.

Act I

The Foundation

Act II

The Classic Era

Act III

A New Stage

Act IV

Championship & Modern Era

1929

Great Depression

Community theater becomes free escape.

1943

WWII years

Students fill every role on stage.

1971

Austin music boom

A city of performers takes shape.

2010

Austin arts surge

Live performance culture expands citywide.

1916

Rio Grande campus

Austin High settles downtown.

1953

Enrollment boom

Postwar Austin doubles the student body.

1975

Move to Town Lake

The campus crosses the river.

2016

Facility upgrades

PAC theater modernized.

1908
1918
1928
1938
1948
1958
1968
1978
1988
1998
2008
2018

1911Dramatic Club forms

1922Junior Curtain Club

1929The Red Dragon Players named

1946Post-war stage revival

1975New campus theater opens

2004Musical Theatre program begins

2009First UIL 5A State title

2026Gypsy!

9 Heller Awards Nominations (including Best Production)

1963

UIL One-Act era

Competition becomes a tradition.

2007

State run begins

First of six straight state trips.

2009

State Champions

2011

State Champions

2012

State Champions

A state-record sixth consecutive appearance.

1937

Golden-age dramas

Classic repertoire downtown.

1975

Dark at the Top of the Stairs

Final curtain on Rio Grande.

1976

A Clearing in the Woods

Opening the new stage.

2001

Nicholas Nickleby

An epic two-part staging.

2019

Mamma Mia!

Large-scale musical theater.

Did you know?

Founding myth

The Name Game

Originally called the 'Dramatic Club' and 'Junior Curtain Club,' the troupe officially became The Red Dragon Players in 1929 — decades before Austin High adopted a school mascot.

Theater relocation

Farewell Rio Grande

In 1975, RDP closed the curtain on their downtown campus with The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and opened the current campus facility with A Clearing in the Woods the same year.

State legacy

UIL Dynasty

Between 2007 and 2012, RDP set a state record by qualifying for six consecutive UIL 5A State Championships — winning the top prize in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

Modern changes

Adding the Song

Long focused on standard dramas, the dedicated Musical Theatre program was officially established in 2004, broadening the players' repertoire to large-scale musicals.

Historical anchor

Theater in War

During WWII (1941–1945), performance photos reflect a shortage of young male actors — showcasing the adaptability of the students who kept the stage alive.

Alumni spotlight

Where Red Dragons land.

Haley Wilson, Red Dragon Players alumnus — Professional Actress, Class of 2015

Haley Wilson

Professional Actress, Class of 2015

Haley graduated from Drake University in 2019 with a BFA in Musical Theatre and concentrations in Directing & Choreography.

She was awarded an internship at the regional theatre Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, Tennessee, and is now a professional company member. At Playhouse she has performed in Memphis, Kinky Boots, Head Over Heels, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Songs From a New World, Schoolhouse Rock, Peter Pan, Days of Rage, and The Taming — and took on the lead role of Patsy Cline in Just a Closer Walk with Patsy Cline.

Other professional credits include Urinetown and La Cage aux Folles at Theatre Memphis.

@haley.breann.wilson

Caroline Ragland, Red Dragon Players alumnus — AEA Stage Manager & Performer, Class of 2013

Caroline Ragland

AEA Stage Manager & Performer, Class of 2013

Caroline has been working in the theatre — on stage and behind the scenes — since she was 10 years old. A 2017 graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, she received her BFA in Musical Theatre while pursuing stage management as an independent study.

An Austin, Texas native, Caroline enjoys hiking in the Hill Country, walking around the lake, and surplus amounts of queso and coffee. She has a fierce love and strong loyalty to her friends and family and will always fight for what she believes is right.

Caroline lives in Brooklyn, where she is pursuing a career as a freelance stage manager.

@CarolineRagland

Jack Kyser, Red Dragon Players alumnus — Web Video Editor at Comedy Central, Class of 2009

Jack Kyser

Web Video Editor at Comedy Central, Class of 2009

Jack is a 2013 graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he was a Dean's Scholar and film major. He works as a web video editor at Comedy Central for The Daily Show, and was previously an associate producer and assistant editor for Emmy-winning filmmaker Nancy Buirski.

"Harvey's Last Night on the Avenue" was an Official Selection of the 2020 Raleigh Film and Art Festival and the 2020 Black Cat Picture Show. "Four Play" won the Audience Award at the Iron Mule Comedy Film Festival in 2018, and "Jack and Lucas Go To A Wedding" was an official selection of the 2017 NewFilmmakers New York Summer Series. His senior thesis film, "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory," won Best Student Film at the 2015 Black Cat Picture Show and screened at festivals from Santa Monica to Athens.

He interned for a year and a half at Martin Scorsese's Sikelia Productions and served on the Tisch New Theatre Executive Board. At Austin High School, Jack performed in twenty-three plays and won fourteen Best Actor or All-Star Cast awards at all levels of UIL competition, advancing to national competition in Monologue, Duet Musical, and Shakespeare performance.

@jackmkyser

Shakey Graves, Red Dragon Players alumnus — Musician, Class of 2004

Shakey Graves

Musician, Class of 2004

Austin's own Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) got his start on the Red Dragon stage before becoming one of the city's most recognizable touring musicians.

Marshall Allman, Red Dragon Players alumnus — Film & Television Actor, Class of 2003

Marshall Allman

Film & Television Actor, Class of 2003

An Austin native, Marshall Allman discovered his passion for performing while at Austin High School. Shortly after graduation, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time, rapidly earning roles in major television series and feature films.

He gained widespread recognition for his starring roles as L.J. Burrows in the hit series Prison Break and Tommy Mickens in HBO's True Blood, alongside film appearances in projects such as Hostage.

Memories

From the archive.

Footage, photos, and programs from decades of Red Dragon productions.

The Red Dragon Players — 2001 production of Nicholas Nickleby.

More archival photography lives on our Flickr archive.

In memoriam

Remembering Daniel Lefave

Daniel Lefave, remembered by the Red Dragon Players

The Red Dragon Players remember the students, alumni, and friends who shaped this program and are no longer with us.

Read Daniel's obituary

ALUMNI CHECK IN

We want to know where you are and what you're doing.

Did you get married, have children, land a dream job, or just want to share special news? Send us an update on where you are and what you're doing — and don't forget the photo.