The Alchemist isn’t releasing the name of the actorportraying Dracula, but the rest of the cast includes a diverse body of talent.Local theater veteran Douglas Smedbron is set to play the wise and valiant Dr.Van Helsing, and frequent cinematic shadow cast member Peter Blenski willportray the heroic Jonathan Harker. The fair Lucy will be played by thetalented Liz Whitford, who has made quite an impression with Carte Blanche Studiosin recent months. The central cast will be joined by a number of attractiveyoung women playing vampire brides.
The play, based on an original adaptation by Off theWall Theatre Artistic Director Dale Gutzman, is a labor of love for theAlchemist’s Aaron Kopec. Kopec, who also worked on Gutzman’s production, hastweaked the script for this show. He aims to give the darkness a chance tobreathe by adding moments of levity, which should keep the production fromtaking itself too seriously.
The tiny space of the Alchemist Theatre will lock ina real sense of horror. Some of this potential was realized in the Alchemist’srecent staging of Ripper. With Dracula, Kopec is attempting to use thetheater to maximum effect by employing as much of the physical space aspossible.
“The audience is sitting directly in the middle ofthe ruin site of castle Dracula,” Kopec says. “They are surrounded bybroken-down walls, branches, night creatures…and vampire brides.”
A coffin serves as the focal point for the set. Andwith lighting and costumes that have been in development for nearly six months,the Alchemist is attempting to make every visual moment powerful.
The Alchemist Theatre’s production of Dracula: The Undead runs Oct. 15 throughNov. 7.
