Victorian-era suspense and horror gets a more modern twist at Chanticleers Theatre’s production of Dracula. Written by John L. Balderston and Hamilton Dean and drawing inspiration from the 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker, director Christine Plowright’s rendition transports audiences to San Francisco during the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition.
Audiences follow the story of up-and-coming socialite Jonathan Harker (played by Will Thompson) and the plight of his sickly lover Lucy Seward (played by Hannah Chylinski). When Harker and his soon-to-be father-in-law Dr. Seward (Connor Biondi) struggle to find the causes and treatment for Lucy’s strange condition, they conjure the aid of the eccentric traveling explorer Abraham Van Helsing (C. Conrad Cady). As the occupants of the Seward manor [also serving as a sanatorium] race against time to save Lucy, all evidence starts to point to the doings of the visiting Count Dracula (Jim Woodbury) and his loyal servant Renfield (Calico Dant) in this supernatural ‘whodunnit.’
The standout performances of the show include (but are not limited to) that of Thompson, Biondi and Cady as the core trio of Harker, Dr. Seward and Van Helsing. Despite the clearly different ulterior motives that the three characters possess, their on-stage chemistry, banter and well-timed physical acting is testament to the authenticity of the performances.
Other notable performances include Chylinski’s portrayal of Lucy Seward, Tara Navarro as Miss Wells (the Sewards’ maid) and Tony Parham as Dr. Butterworth. Through the character of Lucy Seward, Chylinski expertly utilizes facial movements and physical cues to sell Lucy’s transformation from an archetypal “damsel in distress” into someone with much more autonomy over the situation than those around her realize.
Aiding this performance are the tertiary storylines regarding Miss Wells and Dr. Butterworth. They serve as surrogates for the audience through their reactions to the events unfolding around them but it is also their comedic timing that provide moments of much-needed levity during an otherwise macabre story.
In playing the titular character of Count Dracula, Jim Woodbury shines as he juxtaposes the character’s charm and charisma with his (literal) thirst for blood and power. While serving as a compelling antagonist, it is also Calico Dant’s depiction of R.M. Renfield. Dant’s mannerisms and neurotic behavior establish the character’s plight as themes of loyalty and duty clash with morals and self-respect.
In her director’s note, Plowright has stated that setting the play in 1915 San Francisco (as the city hosted its world famous exhibition only nine years after the horrific 1906 earthquake and fire) is allegorical to Bay Area playhouses such as Chanticleers coming back after the 2020 pandemic. Transporting audiences to San Francisco at the turn of the century is a large feat that is most certainly achieved by lighting designer Mark Decker, stage manager Miranda Bumstead and the rest of the Chanticleers stage crew.
The use of painted backdrops resembling actual lithographs of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition, antique furniture and rotating setpieces aid in transporting the audience from the Seward manor/sanitorium down to Count Dracula’s lair with San Francisco Bay prominently in the background. Sound designer Tony Parham and his team’s use of voiceovers and background sounds also aid in the suspension of disbelief and in establishing Dracula’s powers of hypnosis and mind control.
For fans of the 1931 Dracula film starring Bela Lugosi (as well as all other Dracula films/shows released over the years), Chanticleers Theatre’s Dracula is sure to please teenage and adult audiences just in time for Halloween.
Chanticleers Theatre’s ‘Dracula’
Oct. 18 – Nov. 8
Fridays and Saturdays: 8pm
Sundays: 2pm
Special Halloween performance: Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7pm.
Chanticleers Theatre
3683 Quail Ave., Castro Valley
Tickets: $10 – $30
