‘Tis the season of ghosts and ghouls and witches and such with the celebrations of Halloween and Dias de los Muertos upon us. So the interest in supernatural lore on stage is no surprise, which includes at least three plays about Dracula currently haunting Bay Area theaters. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley offers its take on Steven Dietz’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula with a stunning visual and aural presentation directed by Giovanna Sardelli that will put a fright into some.
What is it about the human condition that draws us to horrible events? Why the fascination with the likes of every possible violent trauma from train wrecks to axe murders? Some evidence suggests that times of uncertainty and angst, like now, promote interest in horror and the occult. Perhaps the attraction to blood-sucking human vampires is the idea that it is spine-tingling scary, but it couldn’t really happen. It couldn’t – right?
Most theater goers will already be familiar with the basic premise of the play. The scene is turn-of-the-(20th)-century England. Apparently, Transylvanian blood has lost its appeal, and Count Dracula seeks new pastures. Dracula himself is a relatively lesser character in the narrative, as it’s important first to establish his victims as people we care about before he sucks their blood and transforms them into the undead…
The most important production decision for a play of this sort is the tone to be set. Many viewers will expect campiness emphasized by Count Dracula’s inauthentic, but oft-repeated signature line “I vant…to suck…your blood.” Let it be noted that blood sucking does occur but without quite that fanfare. Scott Coopwood’s Dracula is much more reserved with the effort to create more drama and horror than laughter, but with the result of a less dynamic character. Notwithstanding, his garish costumery and penchant for gobbling the necks of the unsuspecting does set him apart from your typical Victorian gentleman…..
Per agreement with Talkin’ Broadway, my complete reviews of South Bay and Peninsula theater for the remainder of the year will appear in full on its site. Please continue at:
San Jose/Silicon Valley – “Dracula” – 10/13/26
Dracula runs through November 1, 2026 at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA. For information and tickets please visit https://theatreworks.org.
