'Dracula' production plays into horror season

The classic story of Dracula is horrifying, bloody, gruesome and dark, and the adaptation set to open Halloween night at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau plays right into it, director Kenneth Stilson said.

"It's based very much on the novel," said Stilson, a professor in Southeast Missouri State University's Conservatory of Theater and Dance.

Stilson said it's a dark story of scientist and doctor Abram Van Helsing, whose former student, Thomas Seward (played by Cameron Smith), works in a sanatorium in the shadow of the forbidding Carfax Abbey. Van Helsing's student summons him when a new resident moves into the castle -- a resident who turns out to be none other than Vlad Dracula.

Van Helsing isn't just a scientist and doctor, however, describing the character as a take on Indiana Jones -- not a stuffy scientist fellow, but a man of action, Stilson said.

He just so happens to deal in the occult as well.

Production crew members with Southeast Missouri State University River Campus build the elaborate set Wednesday that will be used for the show "Dracula" in the Bedell Performance Hall in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

"It's really just a wonderful adaptation," Stilson said. "It moves right along, and is very much in the style of the horror movies of the 1940s and 1950s, very much in keeping with Bram Stoker's novel in terms of characters and events."

Stilson said the novel itself is "pretty complex," but this adaptation leaves behind much of the exposition "and gets it down to a really lean production, which is good."

The running time is about 2 hours and 20 minutes, with intermission, he said.

Stilson said the show is set in the 1890s, like the novel, and the story centers on the sanatorium and surrounding area.

"Van Helsing has a real understanding of this world of vampires, and he's the one who initiates the plan to attack and kill Dracula," Stilson said.

"It's really cool," he added. "I get to direct a horror movie."

Stilson said while there is some comedy to the show, as with any true horror story, this is not a silly or campy show.

"There's also lots of blood and guts, lots of fighting, all the things you would expect in a horror story, there's lots of it in this," he said. "It's the perfect show to open on Halloween night."

Stilson said there's no foul language in the show, but because the violence and special effects, he'd call it about a PG-13 rating.

"We're hoping people will really get into the spirit of the thing, come in costume, be ready to scream and laugh, which is what this story is," Stilson said. "We're having a great time."

The script calls for several technical elements -- over 50 special effects, Stilson said.

He said the story is strong and the actors are talented, and he wouldn't call the technical elements challenges. But the cast and crew are dealing with smoke and fire, trapdoors, stage violence and other considerations.

The stage combat was choreographed by Bart Williams, who also served as a dialect coach. Williams is an instructor in Southeast's Conservatory and specializes in stage combat.

Count Dracula is portrayed by Ryan Adolph, a non-traditional student who brings depth to the role, Stilson said.

Adolph is from South Africa, "so he has this very exotic quality to him already, so it's really cool to see him as Dracula," Stilson said.

"He's surrounded by a bunch of really talented actors," Stilson said. "I'm excited for people to see."

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 and 2 p.m. Nov. 5.

Tickets are available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the River Campus Box Office at 518 S. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau, by calling (573) 651-2265, or online at RiverCampus.org.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.