The popular work of horrific fiction, “Dracula,” bit its way into the hearts of the Ada public in a special production on October 17 in Ohio Northern University’s Freed Center for the Performing Arts. Charles Morey’s adaption, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” was performed by visiting artists of the Los Angeles Theatre Works.
According to latw.org, the Los Angeles Theatre Works is a “non-profit media arts organization based in Los Angeles whose mission for over 25 years has been to present, preserve and disseminate classic and contemporary plays.” Even though some elements of the play may be different, the underlying message remains the same.
“Dracula” influenced many popular works of fiction, including “True Blood” and “Twilight.” The play introduced otherworldly creatures that preserved eternal life by feeding off of others. In result, many works of fiction have taken these ideas and changed them individually. However, in almost all of the stories, a vampire is killed by a stake, staying true to the original story of “Dracula.”
“It’s always great to bring in new interpretations of it [“Dracula”]. It is just like with a show like “Romeo and Juliet” that we all know. It’s always interesting to see how another director might have a completely different interpretation,” said Dylan Wood, the Freed Center’s operation manager, in regards to this adaption of “Dracula.”
Society has adapted to the dark storyline involving vampires. Throughout the history of literature, there have been multiple stories involving creatures in the night, which became possible because of “Dracula.”
“There are a lot of elements in the story that are applicable to modern-day life. This play has been used in studies of psychology, women’s issues, and colonialism. So in addition to it being a really good story, there’s actually some applicability to real life,” Wood adds.
Even though certain aspects of the play are applicable to real life, the play still contains otherworldly elements. These elements may have made viewers think differently about what they know. Nevertheless, “Dracula” remains a timeless dark and compelling play.