As the leaves turn crimson and the nights grow longer, the eerie allure of the supernatural settles over the John Hand Theater, where Firehouse Theatre Company is presenting a chilling adaptation of Bram Stoker's immortal classic, Dracula.
"Once upon a time, there was a director named Julie Kaye Wolf who kept whispering in my ear, 'Can we do Dracula?'" recalls Helen Hand, Firehouse's executive producer and board president. "I don't like scary stuff, but Julie acted in the play about fifteen years ago and fell in love with the show, so it's been on her list ever since then. Dracula is a large production, with lots of special effects and big spectacle sequences, but Firehouse has a small black-box stage; part of the excitement and challenge for our crew is giving it the pizzazz it deserves in an intimate space like this."
But playwright Stephen Dietz offered a helping hand, with "a note for directors in the script that says you can do as many or as few special effects as the theater allows and the story will still work," Wolf says. "Firehouse may be small, but the author says we can do it. I'm lucky that we have designers who know our space really well, and am excited to let them go crazy with their own creativity, because we don't always have shows that utilize the full extent of their talents. We've been working to create a spooky mood and atmosphere for the show."
"I like how Stephen's writing emphasizes the mystery and thriller sides of the story," Wolf says. "I grew up watching Buffy, but now there’s freaking sparkly vampires and so many other versions. ... Nowadays, we do a lot of retellings of stories; however, what I like about this version of the character is that the author nails the essential elements of this iconic character and cleanly condenses the story for the stage."
Dietz's version details Count Dracula's journey to England and the ensuing chaos as he starts sucking people dry of their blood. While Abraham Van Helsing, an elderly professor, and two couples of lovers, Lucy Westenra/Dr. John Seward and Mina Murray/Jonathan Harker, make an effort to fight back, they discover that they may have bitten off more than they can chew.
While Elicia Jane Hesselgrave, who plays Mina in this production, acknowledges that she's not "super familiar with any discrepancies between the original novel and this one, I think it does a good job of standing on its own. The one thing I'm grateful for, aside from working with Julie and this incredible company, is playing Nina. She's a strong female character, which we still don't see enough of in the theater. Usually, I get cast as the funny best friend or damsel in distress; however, I get to play someone different in Dracula. Mina is really assertive and confident, which is really empowering."
The natural eeriness of the script plays well, according to ensemble member Andrea Alfano. "It's so creepy on its own that we don't have to try too hard to make it frightening," she says. "There are some shows that can come off as cringy when you're trying too hard to make them scary, but this play is so well written that we don't have to overact to make it thrilling. Every fall, when the weather starts to get a little colder, it just feels right to be doing a spooky show, and you can't get more horrifying than Dracula."
"The show really explores this whole idea of human versus beast and what the line is between those two concepts," says Johnathan Underwood, who plays a man under psychosis named Renfield. "I’ve really been trying to find the humanity in this damaged madman who worships Dracula."
Andrew Horsford portrays the mysterious Dracula. He says he's thrilled to be playing the iconic character, and was drawn to the play by the escapism it offered.
"Dracula is an incredibly entertaining play that you can come and enjoy and get lost in without having to think about current events in the world," Horsford says. "The way that the play is written is such a treat for me; Dracula only appears a few times, but not as himself. For me, the show all comes together in the last part of the first act when Dracula reveals his true self; it's a thrilling moment that I can't wait for audiences to experience."
With a talented cast, a dedicated director and the intimate setting of the John Hand Theater, Dracula is set to be one of Denver's premier theatrical offerings this spooky season. Concludes Hand: "Why not have some delicious, scary fun to start off the fall and get in the mood for Halloween?"
Dracula opens Saturday, September 30, and runs through October 28 at the John Hand Theater, 7653 East First Place; get tickets at firehousetheatercompany.com.
"Once upon a time, there was a director named Julie Kaye Wolf who kept whispering in my ear, 'Can we do Dracula?'" recalls Helen Hand, Firehouse's executive producer and board president. "I don't like scary stuff, but Julie acted in the play about fifteen years ago and fell in love with the show, so it's been on her list ever since then. Dracula is a large production, with lots of special effects and big spectacle sequences, but Firehouse has a small black-box stage; part of the excitement and challenge for our crew is giving it the pizzazz it deserves in an intimate space like this."
But playwright Stephen Dietz offered a helping hand, with "a note for directors in the script that says you can do as many or as few special effects as the theater allows and the story will still work," Wolf says. "Firehouse may be small, but the author says we can do it. I'm lucky that we have designers who know our space really well, and am excited to let them go crazy with their own creativity, because we don't always have shows that utilize the full extent of their talents. We've been working to create a spooky mood and atmosphere for the show."
Wolf has been a fan of Dietz's interpretation of Dracula since she played Mina Murray, a young woman thrust into a world of seduction and spine-tingling horror as she battles the infamous Vampire King.
"I like how Stephen's writing emphasizes the mystery and thriller sides of the story," Wolf says. "I grew up watching Buffy, but now there’s freaking sparkly vampires and so many other versions. ... Nowadays, we do a lot of retellings of stories; however, what I like about this version of the character is that the author nails the essential elements of this iconic character and cleanly condenses the story for the stage."
Dietz's version details Count Dracula's journey to England and the ensuing chaos as he starts sucking people dry of their blood. While Abraham Van Helsing, an elderly professor, and two couples of lovers, Lucy Westenra/Dr. John Seward and Mina Murray/Jonathan Harker, make an effort to fight back, they discover that they may have bitten off more than they can chew.
While Elicia Jane Hesselgrave, who plays Mina in this production, acknowledges that she's not "super familiar with any discrepancies between the original novel and this one, I think it does a good job of standing on its own. The one thing I'm grateful for, aside from working with Julie and this incredible company, is playing Nina. She's a strong female character, which we still don't see enough of in the theater. Usually, I get cast as the funny best friend or damsel in distress; however, I get to play someone different in Dracula. Mina is really assertive and confident, which is really empowering."
The natural eeriness of the script plays well, according to ensemble member Andrea Alfano. "It's so creepy on its own that we don't have to try too hard to make it frightening," she says. "There are some shows that can come off as cringy when you're trying too hard to make them scary, but this play is so well written that we don't have to overact to make it thrilling. Every fall, when the weather starts to get a little colder, it just feels right to be doing a spooky show, and you can't get more horrifying than Dracula."
"The show really explores this whole idea of human versus beast and what the line is between those two concepts," says Johnathan Underwood, who plays a man under psychosis named Renfield. "I’ve really been trying to find the humanity in this damaged madman who worships Dracula."
Stephen Dietz's stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel follows Count Dracula's journey to England.
Deb Flomberg-Rollins
"Dracula is an incredibly entertaining play that you can come and enjoy and get lost in without having to think about current events in the world," Horsford says. "The way that the play is written is such a treat for me; Dracula only appears a few times, but not as himself. For me, the show all comes together in the last part of the first act when Dracula reveals his true self; it's a thrilling moment that I can't wait for audiences to experience."
With a talented cast, a dedicated director and the intimate setting of the John Hand Theater, Dracula is set to be one of Denver's premier theatrical offerings this spooky season. Concludes Hand: "Why not have some delicious, scary fun to start off the fall and get in the mood for Halloween?"
Dracula opens Saturday, September 30, and runs through October 28 at the John Hand Theater, 7653 East First Place; get tickets at firehousetheatercompany.com.
