Many know of Dracula’s tales and the horror of vampires, with their weakness to garlic and the sun. UTSA Student Theatre and its talented cast put a twist on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” They made it comedic and chaotic, with a pansexual Gen Z Count Dracula experiencing an existential crisis.
From April 24 to 27 in the UTSA Main Campus Business Building, room 2.01.02 — the Richard Liu Auditorium — UTSA Student Theatre produced a play full of laughs that showcased a cast who took their roles seriously.
The cast included Henry Murray as Dracula, Caleb Irwin as Jonathan Harker, Reese Stanley as Lucy Westfeldt, Madeline Murphy as Mina Westfeldt, Joaquin Lopez as Dr. Wallace/Reinfield, Eliel McKinnon as Dr. Van Helsing, Ambonnay Rodriguez as Narrator, Viktor Ostberg as Lord Havemercy, Sanjana Prabhu as Kitty, Joe Urias as Lord Cavendish. Austin Bobbit, Andrew Padilla and Precious Okolie are the three understudies. The production team included Felicity Rost as director, Joe Urias as assistant director, John Pelayo and Storm Goodman as stage manager, and a fantastic crew helped bring the vibrant sets alive.
In a madcap take on “Dracula,” the story unfolds when Mina falls ill with a mysterious blood disease. Lucy Westfeldt and her fiancé, Jonathan Harker, enlist the help of famed vampire hunter Doctor Jean Van Helsing to solve the mystery of what occurred with Mina and where she had gone.
The show was hilarious and had far more advanced set designs than previous shows put on by UTSA Student Theatre. The audience didn’t have to sit through one dull moment during the show.
The production also included “Juno” by Sabrina Carpenter, which was spontaneous, bringing surprise and amusement. Along with “Juno,” the show featured The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album cover, which was very appreciated, as well as a “Mamma Mia” reference. Although not all of the added music was like this, “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake and “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado were the only songs set in at an awkward volume when played on the soundbox.
The lighting had perfect timing, and the switch from blue to orange to single spotlight added to the production and brought it all together.
Some of the most jaw dropping scenes came from characters Dracula, Mina, Dr. Van Helsing and Lucy, who put their heart and soul into their characters. These characters had some of the more extreme situations, had the best comedic timing and committed to making a great show for their audience.
The cast, crew and director put on a fantastic show. A lighthearted twist to the tale of Dracula is the perfect way to end the semester for UTSA Student Theatre. It is guaranteed that the audience will not forget about Dracula, the blood thirsty romantic with chaotic humor thanks to UTSA’s interpretation of the character.
