Center Stage Sinks Its Teeth Into New Season With ‘Dracula’ at Southampton Arts Center

Center Stage at Southampton Arts Center will kick off its new season with “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” a theatrical radio play adaptation of the classic Gothic horror story, running from October 17 through October 26.

Adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian and directed by Michael Disher, the production promises a chilling experience that remains faithful to Stoker’s original 1897 novel. Performances will take place Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Southampton Arts Center, located at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton.

“Stoker’s brooding tale of seduction, power, eternal life, hungers and thirsts remains faithful to the source material,” Disher said. “Despite its haunting appeal, ‘Dracula,’ oddly enough, is seldom staged. I am drawn to Gothic literature, and ‘Dracula’ may well be one of the finest examples of the genre.”

Disher said the production offers a rare chance to experience the classic horror tale in theatrical form.

“‘Dracula’ continues to surprise me,” he said. “When researching local productions, I could find nothing. Curious to think the most ubiquitous fictional character has somehow avoided local stages — until now.”

Disher, reflecting on the themes that have kept “Dracula” relevant for more than a century, said, “I’m always intrigued by the thirst for power and control over others. What drives this and what allows one’s weakness to succumb to another is a great mystery to me. It is a primal conflict within most men and most fiction.”

As part of Center Stage’s mission to bring literature to life on stage, the show’s radio-play format also pays homage to the storytelling traditions of the past.

“I guess the older I get, the more I’m embracing classics and rereading classic literature,” Disher said. “Perhaps it’s the combination of the writing, the stories and the characters, for all seem to resonate more strongly than ever within me.”

“Bram Stoker’s Dracula” is presented through special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing. The Center Stage cast features Daniel Becker, Richard Adler, Mary Sabo, Franco Pistritto, Elizabeth Wyld, Michaal Lyn Schepps, Kyle Paseka, Michael Ponella, Taylor Tybaert and Tim Ferris as Count Dracula. Joey Giovingo serves as stage manager, with lighting and sound design by Kenneth Blessing.

Tickets are $25, $20 for Southampton Arts Center members. Southampton Arts Center is at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit southamptonartscenter.org.