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Overview

Synopsis

Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula popularized the Gothic genre and brought vampire fiction to a mass audience, shaping popular understanding of the mythological creature. While playwright Steven Dietz takes some theatrical liberties, this adaptation is largely faithful to the source material and preserves the major plot and characters. Also intact are the style and tone of the original novel, complete with gore, special effects, and melodrama. The play is anchored with a prologue and epilogue delivered by Renfield, a mysterious, insane asylum patient under the spell of Count Dracula, a vampire who is equal parts debonair and violent. When the young Lucy begins to transform into a vampire, her best friend Mina summons the psychiatrist Dr. Seward to examine her. Flummoxed, Seward calls in his mentor, Professor Van Helsing. When Dracula’s lawyer and Mina’s fiancé Harker returns from Dracula’s castle in a state of shock, his journal paints a picture of the full extent of Dracula’s power. As the stakes get higher, the group must fight time to defeat evil. With an ensemble cast and minimal scenic requirements, Dietz’s adaptation offers a gripping horror play for theatres of any size or technical capability.

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film
Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula
Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1995
Genres
Drama, Horror
Settings
Simple/No Set, Multiple Settings, Period
Time & Place
London, England, Transylvania, 1897
Cast Size
medium
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Jonathan Harker

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Dracula

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Mina

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Lucy

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Dr. John Seward

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Renfield

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Abraham Van Helsing

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Attendent

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Vixens

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Maid

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

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Key Terms

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Guide Written By:

Kevan Dunkelberg

Kevan Dunkelberg

Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright