Rorschach Theatre to Present Site-Specific DRACULA in October

Under the direction of Rebecca Rovezzi, Rorschach Theatre's DRACULA will perform in the appropriately haunted atmosphere of the now vacant firehouse at The Parks at Historic Walter Reed. Rorschach will transform the space into the lush, dark Victorian world of Bram Stoker's London and Transylvania. Performances are October 14 - November 6, 2022, with shows on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8pm. Added Halloween show on Monday, October 31.

Kate Hamill (2017 Playwright of the Year, Wall Street Journal) boldly reimagines Bram Stoker's classic tale of vampires and finds new monsters just beneath the skin. The gothic tropes of villains who wear evil on their sleeve and damsels in distress are replaced by all-too-human monsters and ferocious women who stab at the heart of the patriarchy itself.

ABOUT THE PLAY:

DRACULA: A FEMINIST REVENGE FANTASY, REALLY cleverly updates Bram Stoker's classic novel of a similar name with contemporary commentary. Newlywed Mina Harker is drawn into a nightmarish world of dark mysteries when her husband Jonathan travels to Transylvania to work with a new client - Count Dracula. When the powerful Count narrows his predatory gaze on beautiful young Lucy, Mina teams up with vampire hunter Doctor Van Helsing to drive a stake through the heart of this legendary monster.

DRACULA was originally commissioned by Classic Stage Company in New York City and premiered there in January 2020 under the direction of Sarna Lapine. The play was a Critic's Pick for the Wall Street Journal, TimeOut, and TheaterMania. New York Magazine called the play "Highbrow Brilliant."

Kate Hamill is an award-winning New York City-based actor and playwright. She is focused on creating new feminist, female-centered classics, both in new plays and in adaptation: stories that center around complicated women. Her other adaptations include VANITY FAIR, THE SCARLET LETTER, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, EMMA, LITTLE WOMEN, MANSFIELD PARK, and highly acclaimed SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, among others. Her work has been produced off-Broadway, at A.R.T., Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Guthrie Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Seattle Rep, PlayMaker's Rep, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center, Folger Theatre (8 Helen Hayes Award nominations; Winner, Best Production) & more.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Cast & Production Team

DRACULA will be directed by Rebecca Rovezzi and will feature Jessica Ludd (Mina); Bri Houtman (Lucy); Phoenix Cross (Doctor Van Helsing); Christina Day (Renfield); Jolene Mafnas (Marilla/Maid); Marissa Liotta (Drusilla/Merchant/Maid); Ben Topa (Dracula); Erik Harrison (Seward); and Conor Patrick Donahue (Jonathan). The design and production team will include Casey Kaleba (Fight/Intimacy Choreography), Sarah Markley (Set), Sydney Moore (Costumes), James Morrison (Lighting), Emily Lathrop (dramaturgy), Caraline Jeffrey (Stage Manager), and others to be announced.

Rebecca Rovezzi is an East Coast based Director with a focus in New Play Development and Mixed-Media. She serves as Artistic Associate at The O'Neill Theater Center and graduated from Skidmore College with a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Directing. She has participated in training intensives at NYU and SITI . She has worked in new play development at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Portland Stage, The Portland Fringe Festival, Rorschach Theatre, The Manhattan Repertory Theater, and Ruthless Nightingale Theatre Company. Rebecca has been a script reader for The Magic in Rough Spaces New Play Lab, and The Clauder Competition, and is currently reading for The Playwright's Realm and Woolly Mammoth.

Fire House at the Parks at Walter Reed

Located on the former campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Fire House is a 5,500 sq ft. two-story unused space located across from the Arts Park at 6810 Cameron Drive NW. The unusual building served as the fire brigade for the 66-acre campus in northwest DC for more than half a century.

Currently, the building's brick walls and open, cavernous space provide the perfect canvas for this site-specific production of DRACULA. In the future, the Fire House will continue to house the performing arts as part of The Aspen Arts Park at Walter Reed. It will be preserved and reused along with the nearby service station and dog park. Once completed, the Arts Park will be part of the larger Parks at Walter Reed development, offering programming for residents and neighbors.

ABOUT RORSCHACH THEATRE

Through uncommon uses of environment and intimate passionate performances, Rorschach Theatre seeks to lure its audiences beyond the limits of ordinary theatrical experience so that they may discover new elements of their own humanity.

Rorschach Theatre tells stories that allow for innovative design and visceral performances. The company treats productions as "installations" that surround the audience with the world of a play. Our work centers on the intersection of magic or impossible moments and every day human experiences. Without proselytizing, it provides a complex, intellectual catalyst for self-exploration of challenging subjects. Catalyzed by the circumstances of 2020, the company leveraged our unique strengths to create Psychogeographies, a groundbreaking project that combines history, fiction, magic realism and real world excursions in a new kind of theatrical experience. This season-long immersive narrative takes participants to lesser-known spots around their city as a story unfolds through letters, artifacts, and objects mailed in monthly chapters.

Beginning during the Covid-19 pandemic, Rorschach began producing "Psychogeographies" - season-long immersive narratives that take participants to lesser-known spots around their city as a story unfolds through letters, artifacts, and objects mailed in monthly chapters.

Rorschach is also a vital launching pad for emerging artists. By trusting early-career actors, directors, playwrights and designers with substantive artistic responsibilities, and surrounding them with established professionals and ample resources, the company has become an essential showcase for new talent. In addition to its regular season, Rorschach produces "Magic in Rough Spaces," an annual new play development series; "Klecksography," an annual new artist development event (for actors, local playwrights, and directors); and "Fight Camp," a stage combat training program held every summer.

Tickets: Ticket Prices ($10-$45): $45 Adults / $30 Students and Seniors.

More discounts, including information about limited $10 tickets can be found on our website at https://rorschachtheatre.com/tickets/.

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