Review: A Seductive DRACULA at Town Players of New Canaan

Beware! A bloodthirsty creature is haunting Connecticut! 

Dracula, A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, written by Kate Hamill Is currently chilling audiences at The Powerhouse Theatre in New Canaan.

Count Dracula is the most notorious of all vampires. We are at once thrilled and fascinated by these folkloric creatures. Vampires have been part of storytelling traditions for centuries, but they gained prominence in the public imagination with the publication of Bram Stoker’s chilling 1897 horror novel, Dracula. It is considered to be the most essential work of vampire fiction. The novel and its numerous adaptations remain popular to this day.   
Kate Hamill’s new version (first produced in 2020) is described as “a bit of a feminist revenge fantasy, really”. It features updated language and a feminist perspective. She rewrites some of the male characters as women while introducing a” Me Too” gravity to the story. In a creative gender swap, the vampire hunter, Van Helsing, is played as a rowdy American woman.  Hamill describes her as “A female vampire hunter. She takes no crap from anybody. She is bad-ass and 19th century men do not, as a rule, appreciate it.”  
Kate Hamill describes herself as “deeply passionate about creating new feminist, female-centered classics, both in new plays and in adaptation – stories that center around complicated women. Her work as a playwright celebrates theatricality, often features absurdity, and closely examines social and gender issues – as well as the timeless struggle to reconcile conscience / identity with social pressures.”  

So, here, Dracula represents control over women, He both seduces and enslaves them. Fighting vampires becomes analogous with fighting patriarchy. The great struggle against vampires becomes a struggle for self-determination and autonomy. Yes, all this and with a hardy dose of humor!
This is not your Great-Grandmother's Dracula.  

Carin Zakes directs with vision and great care. She successfully balances the comedy with the creepiness and her enthusiastic cast is up to the bloody task. Well staged and paced, the physicality and movement are remarkable. As the gory tale unfolds, we are as entranced as the count’s victims. 

 Geoffrey Gilbert as Dracula, is a skilled comedic actor who delivers punchlines and amusing reactions and ensures the laughs come at the right moments. He exudes affable charm one moment and reverts to depraved hunger and sneering dismissiveness the next. The vampire hunter, Dr. Van Helsing as portrayed by the terrific Nova Hall, is a strong, determined character with a hilarious cowboy aesthetic. A fierce, knowledgeable woman with a long scar on her face who actively challenges Dracula's power. Here as our champion to defeat masculine oppression and violence. 

Jessie Lizotte, compellingly portrays Mina with a determined attitude, challenging the expectations of a Victorian woman. When she can no longer trust her husband, being a fighter like Van Helsing becomes her best option. We see her intelligence and strength as she takes control of her own destiny. Driven to take action against Dracula and ultimately defeat him.

Kim Wood is remarkable as Renfield, an inmate at the lunatic asylum and the devoted, fanatical servant to Dracula (here referred to as “Daddy”). We experience her wildly erratic behavior and morbid proclivity for eating insects and other live creatures. Ultimately, a tragic figure trapped in a cycle of obsession and dependence on Dracula.  

Noam Ben Yakir convincingly plays Jonathan Harker, the young lawyer and husband of Mina. An ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary situation. He portrays vulnerability, lustful temptation, and eventually resilience and determination as he fights against evil.

Sam Bass is persuasive as George Seward, the well-meaning but overprotective and paternalistic Doctor, He struggles to accept the reality of the supernatural while clinging to his scientific beliefs. A controlling figure, who gradually learns to trust and respect the female characters as the story progresses. He succeeds in making Seward ridiculous but ultimately transformed.  

Lucy, played with an exciting energy by Dana Billingham believes she must pretend to be less than she is, and is resentful of being constrained by societal expectations. After being bitten by Dracula, Lucy falls desperately ill and becomes an animalistic, unpredictable and frightening vampire.

Marilla and Drusilla, Dracula’s fiendish “wives,”  are played with frighteningly wild abandon by Kate Clark and Alexandra Theodoropoulos With copious grunts, growls, hisses, sneers and threats. Theodoropoulos also appears as a cruel, mocking attendant at Seward’s asylum; Clark as an evasive, dismissive maid and more. This pair flawlessly transforming into other characters with a shift in accent and body language and yes, blood soaked garments. 

The simple, multi-level Set design by Mario Fuentes, was crypt-like and the clever and effective projections by Jac-Que Robinson transported us from place to place without any confusion. The stark, shadowy lighting by Patricia Spugani evokes frightening images that I have lost sleep over. Special effects, including fog, blood, shadowy figures, crucifixes, and gobs of garlic were ubiquitous along with impressive, creepy sounds and ominous original music by Keith Levenson. 

A shout-out to Gus Botazzi for the athletic fight choreography utilized during the many confrontations. Costumes were impressive and expertly coordinated by Alexis Hoffman. They evoked Victorian times but with a contemporary twist. Meg Bona made sure the Vampire Hunter had all the wooden stakes, silver powder, garlic and needed weapons at her disposal. The entire crew, led by stage manager Liz Allen, excels in efficiently propelling the show with their technical precision.  Congratulations to Producers, Peter Green and Zach Slocumb for bringing this thought provoking piece to life in New Canaan.

It’s a Seductive, frightening, bloody and very entertaining show and yes, very pertinent to today.  Go!  

Performances run through October 27th at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park,
New Canaan, CT 06840

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