Thoughts on the Dracula Play

I really enjoyed going to see the play Dracula – it turned out to be better than I expected. I saw the play Frankenstein at that same theater when I was a senior in high school. The actor who played Dracula in our play was the same actor who played Frankenstein in the other play. I believe his name is Giles, and Giles played all of the characters in the Frankenstein play. It was very interesting to see a one-man play, but at the same time it detracted from the horror of the story of Frankenstein. Also, the setting never changed so there was a great deal left up to the imagination. I was going into our Dracula play with the same sort of expectations, but was surprised to find quite the contrary. One thing I immediately noticed was that they made great use of the set and the characters really did a great job, especially the crazy Renfield.

The way that the play was performed really drew the audience in, to the point that I felt completely immersed within the plot of the play. I really liked how the play made the scenes at Count Dracula’s castle flashbacks because it really allowed for the audience to feel more of a connection to Mina. Since Mina is reading the diary and seeing the events that happened to Jonathon, it really connects the audience to her character to find out about these events for the first time along with her. Then we can feel the same shocked feelings that she is experiencing. Lucy was very well done and her costume in the graveyard scene was perfect! I loved how she walked down the aisle and again the audience was able to connect with Van Helsing, Dr. Seward and Jonathan when they see Lucy for the first time in her horrifying vampire form. We can feel the fear that the men are feeling when seeing the disgusting monster of Lucy.

Also, I noticed some connections between the play and the Dracula films we have watched in class. There was one scene in which, from my perspective, Dracula’s shadow was really emphasized by appearing on the wall to the left. This shadow effect was similar to the shadow effects in Nosferatu. Another connection I noticed was that Giles movements were very smooth and feminine like, like in the Dracula film with Bela Lugosi. Also there was definitely a side of eroticism in the play that would be in accordance with Cynthia Freeland’s essay. The scene in which Mina is sucking the blood from Dracula’s chest was performed in a very erotic sense. Overall, I thought the play was very well done!