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THERE WILL BE BLOOD
The immortal story of Dracula has survived
over a century of retellings—passed down from
generation to generation as a chilling tale
of a bloodthirsty killer—and eventually has
become an integral part of modern pop cul
ture. Now kicking off Town & Gown's recently
announced series of productions, Dracula will
be resurrected once again, at no better time
than during the spookiest season of the year.
Director W. Steven Carroll, who in the past
has produced the Rocky Horror Picture Show,
Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Dr. Horrible's
Sing-A-Long Blog, is no stranger to the maca
bre. After settling on writer Steven Dietz's
adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula—which
in Carroll’s opinion
stays true to the struc
ture of the original
novel the best of the
many versions he has
read—several creative
elements were added
to enhance the overall
fright factor of the
play.
"This production
isn't the sitting room
mystery drama that
you most likely have
seen if you've caught
Dracula onstage before.
The characters are
sexy, the effects bom
bastic. and the action
violent. There is copi
ous blood and not a
little flesh showing,"
Carroll warns. Spoiler
alert: you'll be seeing
three vixens in fishnets devour a baby in a
bloodthirsty frenzy, as well as a brief moment
of vamp-on-vamp action if you're lucky.
Despite the varying personas of Dracula
that have surfaced in films, books and other
media over the decades, from folkloric legend
to blood-lusting teenage heartthrob, the count
in this version was envisioned as embodying
the raw mercilessness of his original form.
"We wanted our titular character rc much
more reflect the unsympathetic character
Stoker created than the Bytonic romantic .
figure that's been popularized over the years.
Dracula is a visceral, feral, unrelenting force
of nature in the novel, and we took that as
a blueprint for how we wanted to portray the
character," explains Carroll. Count Dracula,
although behaving humanly manipulative and
a shade seductive at times, ib at root tittle
more than a supernatural, animalistic hunter.
Undeniably, each actor successfully
executes his or her character's anticipated
personality and quirks, using the original
novel as the ultimate guide for production.
"We returned to it repeatedly when we were in
doubt about how to play a scene or needing
inspiration to bring the characters to life,"
says Carroll.
As the story goes, loyal and determined
Mina (Celeste Josephine) must unravel the
secrpts behind the mysterious disappearance
and cryptic journal of her fiance Jonathan
Harker (UGA Theatre & Film Studies doctoral
student Josh Jeffries) as her best friend, play
ful and highly pursued Lucy (Emily Myers),
falls suddenly ill. With the help of the wise
and knowledgeable Professor Van Helsing
{Flagpole's own Theatre Notes writer, John
Nettles) and Lucy's faithful suitor Seward
(Adam Shirley), Mina attempts to piece
together a series of strange occurrences,
including surreal night terrors, a deadly
shipwreck and the ravings of Renfield (Joel
Altherr): a crazed patient who snacks on
insects and small animals to absorb their life
force, in order to defeat the grim plans of
cruel Count Dracula (Tracy Carroll).
The stage is divided into three primary set
tings: Lucy's lush crimson-and-gold bedroom,
Dracula's dismal and dusty stone castle and
Renfield's asylum room decorated with dis
turbing drawings. This design allows events
to flash seamlessly back and forth among
locations, often in rapid-fire succession at the
peaks of unfolding action.
The costumes' palette of earth tones in
olive, brown, tan and black reinforces the
moroseness of Gothic Neo-Victorian fashion.
Subtle industrial details, such as the asylum
attendants' brass-colored goggles, Dracula's
long black trench coat and the three rows of
buckles fastened to Van Helsing's sleeves, lend
themselves to a steampunk-inspired flair. "We
recall the Victorian aesthetic in the design
but add modern or science-fiction twists here
and there because it fits the feel of the sho*
and, frankly, because it looks cool," says
Carroll.
Many of the changes in mood throughout
the play are created by Dracula's three vixens,
who can be heard from backstage discordantly
chanting during moments of suspense, eerily
purring when blood is spilled and laugh
ing maniacally when evil appears to prevail.
Stylistically, this allows for immediate custom
ization of the set's soundscape. Apart from the
vixens, the music is sparse and predominantly
atmospheric, allowing for the audience's full
attention to be centered on the actors' com
pelling deliveries.
Dracula will be performed at the Athens
Community .Theatre on Oct. 13-15 at 8.p.m.
and Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. A special midnight
showing will be held on Friday, Oct. 14, and
attendees are invited to dress for the occa
sion at all performances. The theatre, housing
fewer than 10 rows of newly installed seats,
has an intimate atmosphere, and virtually
every detail onstage can be seen from any
spot in the audience. Tickets can be purchased
by calling 706-208-T0WN (8696) and are S12
for students and senior citizens and S15 for
general admission.
Jessica Smith
10 FLAGPOLE.COM OCTOBER 12. 2011
