Meet Savanna Dacosta | Storyteller & Co-Founder/Producer of The Dream Role Society

We had the good fortune of connecting with Savanna Dacosta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Savanna, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
The principle that we’ve built this company on is the idea that an interest, a spark, or a longing will always be a good enough reason to explore your own artistry. Theatre and performing arts as a whole is something that has been consistently presented as elitest, ruthless, and cutthroat. We don’t want to cut your throat, we want to hear it sing. We want to hear the monologue that’s been rehearsed and swallowed down a million times over. We want to give you an opportunity to see what you’ve envisioned with your real eyes, not just your mind’s eye.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As far as this organization, we want a place where anybody has the opportunity to be somebody. Too many are turned away because their credits aren’t “impressive” enough, they don’t look “right” for a part, or some of the worst yet, “talented professionals” playing parts within stories that are not theirs to tell. We see this particular aspect in the examples of neurotypical people telling stories of neurodivergent characters, able actors playing disabled characters, stories of marginalized communities told by people who are not members within those communities, etc.

We want to hold a space for those who have felt consistently overlooked, but are beyond capable of telling the stories they’ve always wanted to tell. Whether that means playing a part they’ve dreamed of playing, designing their perfect set, or even designing the lighting for a particular show that they’ve always seen in their head but never actually on stage. People need these opportunities to see these dream come to life now more than ever. I couldn’t even try to keep count of how many exorbitantly talented peers of mine have created full costume design portfolios, full set design models, or title-winning performances for pieces they’ve spent months (and even years) on. In the same vein, I can also count on one hand how many of them pursued a career in the arts. Even less have been able to actually produce their own dreams instead of working for someone else’s. This company is that opportunity for these people. We don’t need or plan on it dramatically changing their lives— I’m sure they’ll thrive in the paths life leads them through. However, to give that person chance to spend 4 months of their life getting to be an integral piece in the show of their dreams, watch their work be utilized in a performance for many, and take an audience into another world for just a moment— that would be a once in a lifetime experience.

We’re wildly thrilled to introduce The Dream Role Society with an inaugural production of Rajiv Joseph’s contemporary play, Gruesome Playground Injuries. As soon as we read this script, we immediately fell in love with it & knew it was the perfect production to meet our new audience with. We decided to begin with a two-person play, along with three other production team members, to start small and show proof of product. We don’t want to leave any guessing room open for community members to gamble with when it comes to working with us in the future. We’re incredibly excited to share the story we’ve been able to build from the ground up, and we’re confident we can only go up as we expand to larger shows. We’ll be presenting this on the Harris Theater stage at Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, and this will be on the evenings of Friday and Saturday, September 1st + 2nd. Tickets will be made available online through our social media!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For some really explorational experiences, I’d vote for a drive up to St. Augustine for a stroll down the super charming cobblestone streets in the historic part of town. It’s like stepping into a different time! Going down St. George Street and walking back up along the ocean never gets old, and there’s always live music, seafood, and a unique shop a few steps away. For a really immersive experience though, I personally love walking around later at night when establishments have been closed and the streets aren’t as busy— it seems eerie, but it’s honestly really nice and serene.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My life & business partner, Marcus Roberts. He is tall, smart, funny, extremely handsome, bit of a cross between Ryan Gosling and a Golden Retriever… And he is the one writing this particular answer of the interveiw because I am exhausted and catching up on the multiple hours of sleep I’ve missed this week between the part-time day job, full-time education, and constant brainstorming & planning for The Dream Role Society.

Marcus was the one who layed with me as we dreamt up the idea of an innovative theatre company. He met me in this idea ready to put the story before the profit and the artist before the resumé. He was the one who told me that no matter how long it took, whether it was a year, a decade, or a lifetime, that he would fight for this dream of ours to come true as we continue to build it from the ground up. He was also the person who agreed to read the script of what has now become our first show with me. A few short AND long months later, we got to share the announcement of both The Dream Role Society and our first show, Gruesome Playground Injuries, publicly.

Today he stays up extra hours making mock-up art for marketing products, set designs, and the more-than-occasional back massage to the sultry tunes of Vulfpeck. They’re great, you should check them out! Anyways, both literally & figuratively, I would not be here, at this very moment, without him.

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