Maryland Ensemble Theatre Presents DRACULA, 10/22

Maryland Ensemble Theatre will present DRACULA by Steven Dietz October 22 - November 13, 2010. Rich with both humor and horror, this new adaptation restores the suspense and seduction of Bram Stoker's classic novel. As Count Dracula begins to exert his will upon the residents of London, they try to piece together the clues of his appearances.

Performance times and dates are Thursday (10/28, 11/4, 11/11) at 8pm, Friday & Saturday at 8pm & Saturday 10/30 at 11pm and Sunday 10/31 at 8pm & Sunday 11/7 at 2pm & 7pm.

Performances will be at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre located at 31 West Patrick Street Frederick, MD 21701.

To purchase tickets, call 301-694-4744 or visit MarylandEnsemble.org. Tickets will be available at the door, Tuesday - Thursday 10am - 3pm, Friday 11am - 3pm and 1 hour before each show.
Prices are: Adults ($23.50), Students/Seniors ($20.50), Thursday & Sunday Evenings (All seats $16.50).

Ticket price includes a $1.50 handling charge. "First Friday" (All Seats $5 on 10/22 ONLY*)
*$5 Preview tickets are only available at the box office one hour before the performance and are cash only.

The MET's Producing Artistic Director Tad Janes has directed over 30 productions for the MET. In Dracula he directs MET ensemble members Reiner Prochaska (Dracula), Brian Irons (Harker), Mak Nichols and Caitlyn Joy. The cast also includes Bill Stitely (Van Helsing), Tracy Haupt (Lucy), Jim Page (Seward), Vanessa Strickland (Mina), Jeff Keilholtz (Renfield), Alexandra Guyker and Devin Gaither.

Steven Dietz is one of America's most widely-produced and published contemporary playwrights. Since 1983, his twenty-plus plays have been seen at over one hundred regional theatres in the United States, as well as Off-Broadway. He is a two-time winner of the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award, for Fiction and Still Life with Iris. Other widely produced plays include Private Eyes, The Nina Variations, and More Fun than Bowling. Recent work includes the Pulitzer-nominated Last of the Boys (Steppenwolf Theatre).

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is celebrating 13 years of producing a full season of professional theatre in downtown Frederick, MD. Since its founding in 1996, its first original production Finally Heard- Feminine Hero's of an Uncivil War in 1997, and first season of plays in a renovated McCrory's (now the Cultural Arts Center) in 1998; the MET has been an artistic leader in the region and at the forefront of the creation of Frederick's Theater District.

Tad Janes, the MET Artistic Director and the shows director says, "It's a fantastic play, this adaptation (by Steven Dietz) is very faithful to the novel (by Bram Stoker) in tone and language. There's definitely some comic relief especially from Renfield (Jeff Keiholtz plays the mental patient under Dracula's spell) but overall this is going to be a show that will give you chills. It's a fun show but not necessarily fun for the whole family." The MET Artistic Director continued, "The Fun Company, our children's theatre, is doing a show called the Littlest Vampire at the same time and that's going to be a lot of fun for our younger audiences but for Dracula you might want to bring someone you can hold on to."

"It's the Halloween season and it's Dracula, you can't go wrong. It's a strong script and would be a great show to see no matter what time of year it was but doing it now when all the skeletons and other decorations are going up, it can't help but put you in the mood for some blood sucking fun," the MET's new Managing Director, Dan Brick added. "In addition to the regular performances we've added a late night show on the 30th, and an eight o'clock show on Halloween so the MET is making sure this Halloween is not just for the kids."

Photo Credit: Joe Williams

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