With the Halloween atmosphere cooking up scares, it only seems right that local theater shows would want to get in the spirit. The Long Beach Playhouse has chosen a doozy of a production in Dracula, based off of the 1924 Hamilton Deane play about the most iconic vampire in history. But what makes Bram Stoker's "Dracula" such an iconic text? Sure, there's plenty to love about the blood-sucking antagonist who fills the entire cast with fright. However, it's just a compelling drama that comes to life with memorable scenes that bring to life a complicated study of mental health and fear of the supernatural. The cast of this production did a solid job of bringing the familiar story to life, and in the process making for a fun night of horror for everyone in attendance.
The story takes place in Dr. Seward's (Tom Metcalf) Sanitorium, home to a variety of mental patients who occasionally barge in during exposition scenes. One such case is Renfield (Lee Samuel Tanng), who crawls like a spider and gallops like a beast, warning of a dark force that controls him. He sees visions in his mind that control him. It's a tempting fate, and one that will continue to spread around the various residents of this address. It's a fear of Dracula (Stephen Alan Carver), who has the power to control anyone he bites. Some of the details are well known now about vampires (they turn into bats, sleep during the day), but that's far from the most compelling part of the show. It's the psychological ramifications that come with his presence.
Throughout the show, he's seen from behind a window as lights flash to indicate thunder. The lighting department deserves credit for making the aura of the limited stage far more frightening. Dracula comes off as a classical villain without the camp. He is intelligent and provocative, finding ways to weasel out of any traps that detective and vampire hunter Van Helsing (Geraldine Fuentes) sets for him. His penchant scowl is a delightful cornerstone to any scene, especially as it informs the audience of his true identity. Carver shines as the best character in the production, finding the balance between being a compelling intellectual and a frightening, inexplicable monster who lurks behind unsuspecting parties.
The first act is a tightly wound source of exposition that grabs the audience and throws them into a world full of memorable characters. Each one has a moment to establish quirks and create a lasting impression that elevates their character arc into something more sympathetic. While it has the familiar trappings of a 1924 play in terms of pacing, the cast works around it and produces a compelling production. The general design of the stage also benefits the characters who manage to cleverly use the entire geography to their advantage. It may at times steer into melodrama, but the show is largely serious and even borders into a detective mystery atmosphere from time to time. It's the mystery of how to kill Dracula that drives the show, and what follows is an excellent introduction to the character as well as a dissection for why he's become such an icon, even turning Deane's original play into the famous 1931 Bela Lugosi movie of the same name.
The story's best element is that it's a faithful representation of the Stoker novel. The only conflict with this is that the second act is underwhelming and wraps up the story almost abruptly. Whereas the first half was intricately set up, it feels like a cheat for the story to end with limited fanfare in its drama. The quick set change is clever, but the characters don't feel like they get a satisfying conclusion after a compelling start. In some ways, it plays as a tonally inaccurate finale, trading seriousness for camp in the play's most important scene. While it doesn't derail the show entirely, it does leave plenty to be imagined, such as whether or not the intermission was necessary given that it had only 30 minutes left in a 90 minute play.
Despite any conflict, the Long Beach Playhouse's production is a delightful experience that brings traditional goth story telling to a modern audience. It may be a bit dated as a result, but there's plenty to enjoy in the performances that elevate the material and takes the audience into interesting and dark corners. With limited effects and set changes, Dracula manages to work largely because of its performances and the excellent lighting that shifted properly to a scene's mood. It may not have the greatest conclusion, but it does have a good introduction to a classic character. It's a bit scary, but mostly it's just entertaining.
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