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Dr. Seward's fiance Lucy is exhibiting the symptoms of an unusual illness, and she has two strange wounds on her neck that worry her aunt, Mrs. Harkness. When Seward's guest, the acclaimed metaphysicist Dr. Van Helsing, arrives, they investigate Lucy's behavior, along with Dr. Seward's ward, Renfield, who eats living creatures to gain their life. Things become even more mysterious when Seward's new neighbor, a dark and intimidating figure, arrives and Mrs. Harkness, too, appears afflicted.
Irish author Bram Stoker published his novel Dracula in 1897. Although it received positive reviews at the time comparing Stoker to Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley, it wasn’t until the first film version (Nosferatu, 1922) and first American film version (1931) that sales and interest rapidly grew. Since then, Dracula has been a universally known figure in popular culture. Crane Johnson’s 1973 stage version of Dracula is an adaptation that draws on plot and characters from the novel while elevating one of the central characters, Prof. Van Helsing as a strong role for female actors. Everyone knows the basics--unexplained illnesses, bizarre events in town, characters who instill fear and curiosity--so we will not spoil anything about the twisted plot here! Dracula is a true thriller! |
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