Warren Gerds/Critic at Large: Review: Oshkosh troupes Dracula has a bit of bite

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) Most interesting about Fridays opening-night presentation of Dracula by the Oshkosh Community Players was the audience. By and large, it was 30 to 40 years younger than a typical community theater audience. That has to do with the material. Youth has a period of fascination with mortality/immortality and wonder about possibilities of vampires as such. The most-famous story about such? Dracula!!! It also helps that were getting on to Halloween.

The audience hung with the play, which is a bit creaky with age and pacing. Eventually, Dracula shows up cape, tux, slick and smarmy sophistication and all, plus his taste for human blood. Action is spread across three acts and the large Grand Opera House stage. It is a big show. Performances continue through Oct. 11; info: http://www.grandoperahouse.org.

***

Creative: Playwrights Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, from Bram Stokers novel; director Annamarie Sullivan; set designer Joel Moline; scenic designer Adrienne Fails; master of props Nichole Marcella; lighting designer Tom Hanson; sound designer Kurt Schlieter; costumer Jennifer Westenberger; stage manager Frank Tower.

Cast: Abraham Van Helsing Sophie Hough; Count Dracula L. Douglas Pier; Dr. Seward Alan Johnson; R.M. Renfield Colin Sullivan; Lucy Seward Robin Schroeder; Jonathan Harker Matthew Beecher; Mr. Butterworth, the Attendant Zachary Haverty; Mrs. Wells, the Maid.

***

There have been so many variations on Dracula that youd think Bram Stokers story has been sucked dry, but you know it lives on, quite undead. This version traces to 1924. The production is period in look and style.

Were in England, at a sanatorium. The guy who runs it, Dr. Seward, has called in a friend, Professor Van Helsing, from Holland, to help investigate strange goings-on. Among the peculiarities: Dr. Sewards daughter, Lucy, is behaving oddly, upsetting dad and her intended, the dapper Jonathan Harker. Igniting the creeps is a patient, Renfield, who consistently manages to escape his locked and barred room. New to England is Count Dracula, who has arrived from Transylvania the whys and wherefores of this taking much explanatory dialogue.

Dracula is the showcase guy in this production, with L. Douglas Pier doing a good job of slipping into the dark, forceful and haunting character. But the heart of this production is Sophie Hough in his determined and hard-working study of Professor Van Helsing, complete with consistent Dutch accent and a dogged professorial type of pursuit. The other performers can rely on the strength of Sophie Houghs performance to develop their characters. Most vivid is Colin Sullivan, as the tortured soul, Renfield, who gives folks the willies.

A downside is the lack of projection by many of the players. The stage is big, and the house is large, and they need to fire up their voices because the two microphones hanging above the stage dont factor much into amplification. Entrances and exits to stage left and right are confusing to the viewer because there are no doors, just curtains. Logistics dampen the setup of an exciting conclusion; audience patience is required.

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Warren Gerds/Critic at Large: Review: Oshkosh troupes Dracula has a bit of bite