Just in time for Halloween, Center Stage at Southampton Arts Center unveils “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” a Gothic classic shrouded in horror and laced with passion.
The show, presented in radio format and adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian, kicks off the season and will be performed in all its chilling glory from October 17 through October 26.
According to director Michael Disher, Stoker’s “brooding tale of seduction, power, eternal life, hungers and thirsts, remains faithful to the source material.”
Despite its haunting appeal, “’Dracula’, oddly enough, is seldom staged,” Disher said. “I am drawn to Gothic literature and ‘Dracula’ may well be one of the finest examples of the genre. Plus, presenting literature on stage is important to Center Stage — and to me.”
The cast includes Daniel Becker, Richard Adler, Mary Sabo, Brian Mott, Franco Pistritto, Elizabeth Wyld, Michaal Lyn Schepps, Kyle Paseka, Michael Ponella, Taylor Tybaert, and Tim Ferris as Count Dracula.
Reflecting on his love for “Dracula,” Disher said: “I guess the older I get, the more I’m embracing classics and re-reading classic literature. Perhaps it’s the combination of the writing, the stories and the characters, for all seem toresonate more strongly than ever within me.”
He added: “’Dracula’ continues to surprise me. When researching (and searching for) local productions I could find nothing. Curious to think the most ubiquitous fictional character has somehow avoided local stages — until now.”
“Dracula” touches a deep and sometimes, forbidden, chord, he 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.
What exactly contributes to this powerful equation can be debated on so many levels. It is a primal conflict within most men and most fiction.”
The show also features stage management by Joey Giovingo and lighting and sound by Kenneth Blessing. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ is presented through special arrangements with Dramatic Publishing. The production is sponsored
in part by Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.
