Dracula

It was a dark and stormy night, when I went alone to see USF's production of Dracula! And of course, being the costume nerd that I am, I went prepared! Yes, I did in fact wear my homemade vampire teeth to the performance. I was that excited.

I've told you before, that I am likely to need to see a play twice, and I did go a second time a few days later, but even the first performance had me so enthralled in the story and the lore that I barely had time to even register the quick changes or what they might have used for blood to make the wardrobe crew's job easier when doing all the bloody laundry after each show. I did note some of the interesting costume choices, like the filmy fabric clothing the vixens that reacted interestingly with their either very deliberate or highly acrobatic movements. I loved the red collars, it looked like they were permanently stained the red of bright fresh blood from their nightly habits. 

Dracula himself was amazing! I loved the accent and the amazing amount of "don't-look-at-me-that-way-I'm-pretending-I'm-totally-innocent" look while trying to hold back the incredibly creepy nature of his ages old, starving vampire cravings. 

I was able to read at least part of the book before going, and while I noticed a few minor differences in some aspects where the play necessarily deviated from the material in the book, I think it was an excellent adaptation all together. Renfield was phenomenal in his switching between his insanity and his sanity. I've had his blood song stuck in my head several times since the first performance I attended and more frequently since the second time. Although I admit, as soon as I saw the violin, I knew it was going to be broken, and being a violinist myself, I cringed when Dracula saw fit to snap the neck off the instrument and mostly strangle Renfield with it. The friend I dragged with me to the second performance, reacted similarly.

Van Helsing was also an excellent character. His voice translates wonderfully to a Dutch accent and he spoke very convincingly. Lucy and Mina were also excellent. I almost cheered when Mina fought painfully against her own emerging darkness to doom the Count once and for all. And Lucy as the Bloofer lady was spine-tinglingly delightful.

Everyone was absolutely wonderful and other than the fact that there were only two vixens rather than the three that were in the book, the only thing that bothered me was that the blood was for the most part more of a transparent tangerine color rather than the either deep scarlet or vivid bright red that true blood tends to be.

Over all, I loved the show! I think it's been my favorite USF show this season! Very well done, and with amazing technical effects and costumes. (I had more time to examine them the second time around, on purpose rather than simply being distracted by the awesomeness of everything.) I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it to go this last week of the run! It's a great one to raise the Halloween spirits!