Beckwith to host production of classic vampire horror

Published 10:45 am Thursday, October 19, 2017

By Ted Yoakum

DOWAGIAC — The tale of the world’s most famous vampire — sorry, Edward — will soon emerge from its coffin on the Beckwith Theatre stage, just in time for Halloween.

The Dowagiac community theater will host its production of Stephen Dietz’s stage adaption of Bram Stoker’s seminal horror, “Dracula,” the next two weekends, Oct. 20-22 and Oct. 27-29, at the Beckwith downtown playhouse, 100 New York Ave. Curtains rise at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday shows and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets cost $10 and may be purchased at the box office at the time of the performance. To reserve seats, people may call (269) 782-7653.

The play is an adaptation of Stoker’s groundbreaking 1897 novel, which introduced the world to the seductive bloodsucker, Count Dracula, as well as establishing the conventions of vampire stories in the century to follow.

Jonathan Harker (played by Jacob Holmes) is summoned to the Transylvanian castle of the count (David Prouty) in order to help him close a deal for real estate in the city of London. Although Harker is able to discover his host’s dark secret, Dracula arrives in England before the man is able to escape from his captor. The vampire then sets about terrorizing the people of London — including Harker’s betrothed, Mina Murray (Kathryn Hein), and her friend, Lucy Westenra (Laura Simmons) — forcing the man to team up with professor Abraham Van Helsing (Lucinda Gary Moriarty) and others to track down and kill the count before it is too late.

“It [the play] is fast paced, bloody, scary and sexy,” said Andi Creasbaum, a member of the Beckwith board of directors and one of the directors of the Beckwith production. “It definitely hits all the niches of a good horror show.”

Teaming with Creasbaum for directorial duties are fellow board members Matt Davidson and Tara Schaefer. The three horror lovers have long sought to deliver a scary and thrilling show to Beckwith audiences and decided that “Dracula” would be the perfect fit. The other members of the board agreed, and chose a fitting schedule for the shows, at the tail end of October, Creasbaum said.

To bring the story to life, the production team will employ a number of special stage effects, including fog machines, projection and many gallons of fake blood, created by Schaefer and the stage crew.

The atmosphere in the theater should be unlike any Beckwith audiences have experienced before, Creasbaum said

“It’s like not watching ‘Friday the 13th’ for the millionth time on your couch,” she said. “You are in the same room as Lucy when she is bitten. It’s different. It’s more intense than just watching it on TV. The energy is different.”

Of course, all the spooky effects in the world cannot compensate for lackluster performances by the cast. Thankfully, all 10 members of the production — a combination of thespians with the Beckwith, South Bend Civic and Twin City Players — have worked well together over the past several weeks, and are having a tremendous amount of fun themselves bringing Dracula’s menace to the stage, Creasbaum said.

The director said the cast and crew are looking forward to sharing that energy with audiences over the next several weekends, with tickets for the shows selling quickly.

“When else are you going to see horror on stage,” Creasbaum said. “When else are you going to see someone get bitten by a vampire on stage? When else are you going see this much fake blood?”

The theater will host an opening night wine reception for Friday’s show, serving wine courtesy of Fenn Valley Vineyards. Bakeman Barbers and Edward Jones Investments are sponsoring the shows, which are presented by special arrangement New York’s Dramatists Play Service Inc.

 

Cast:

Dracula —  David Prouty

Mina — Kathryn Hein

Lucy — Laura Simmons

Seward — Steve Prouty

Harker — Jacob Holmes

Van Helsing — Lucinda Gary Moriarty

Renfield — Jeff Starkey

Attendant — Jay Southworth

Vixens/Maids — Anne Alexander and Ravan Bakeman

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