‘Dracula’ – Based on the novel by Bram Stroker. Adapted by Steven Dietz. Directed by Melissa Bernstein. Presented by Newton Theatre Company at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 96 Otis Street, Newton, MA, through February 8
Review by Shayne F. Gilbert
The Newton Theater Company’s latest offering is the classic gothic story Dracula, featuring a gender-bending twist: Dracula is portrayed by female actor Linda Goetz, who masterfully handles the role in this first-rate interpretation of the Gothic classic.
The audience is ushered into a large room, and a heavy table made up like a bed dominates the opening scene. The audience sits around the edges of the intimate room in two rows, as if they were not observers but part of the performance (although I did have to pull in my feet at times to prevent the actors from tripping over them). The room dims to an ominous grey as the show begins.
Many may be familiar with Dracula as the centuries-old tale of an immortal vampire who survives on the blood of his victims. Steven Dietz’s 1996 adaptation opens with two young women chattering like schoolgirls on a sleepover as they express their love for their young men. Mina Murray (Dani Johnson) is betrothed to solicitor Jonathan Harker (Matthew Alexander Goldstein). Lucy Westenra (Jessibel Falcon) is in love with John Seward (Rafael Silva), who runs the local asylum for the insane. Things soon take a darker turn as the letters that Murray receives from Harker, who is heading to Transylvania to visit his client, Count Dracula, become more disturbing.
The play moves back and forth between London and Transylvania. Harker, overwhelmed by his experience in Transylvania, returns to London, haunted by what he has seen. Dracula, meanwhile, has used information that Harker has provided to execute a plan to go to London in a quest to feed his insatiable appetite. When Westenra falls prey to the Count, who drains her of her lifeblood, Sewards calls upon Abraham Van Helsing (Karin Trachtenberg), an expert in vampires, to find a cure for Westenra. Tragically, the beautiful innocent is too far along, and her only respite is found in death.
Renfield (Elena Toppo), another victim of the Count, is living a deranged life in Seward’s asylum. Throughout the show, Renfield serves as an interpreter of the actions of the evil vampire. It is Toppo as Renfield who truly shines in her role as the insane link between the traditional world of London and the fantastical world of Dracula. Are those really flies that he snatches and scarfs down in a desperate quest for immortality? The audience can only feel pity for the small bird that Renfield initially befriends, only to find a telltale feather peeking out from his mouth a short time later. I looked forward to each scene-stealing moment of Toppo’s enchanting portrayal of Renfield.
The ensemble delivers an engaging interpretation of the gothic story, alternately delivering gasps of terror and laughter. Although the sets are sparse, clever lighting and background music, reminiscent of the classic organ accompaniments of silent films (composed by Alex Taylor), create a mood of foreboding and doom.
As noted on their website, the mission of Newton Theatre Company is “to create high-quality theater with a focus on women’s voices.” In this production, three of the main, traditionally male characters are portrayed by female actors. Linda Goetz, as Count Dracula, brings an aloof sense of revenge to the blood-lusting character. She seems to literally fly around the stage in her role as the vampire. As Abraham Van Helsing, Trachtenberg is a diminutive figure with a commanding voice.
This interpretation of the Gothic classic delivers enough unnerving elements of horror to be most suitable for mature audiences who will relish the thrill of a blood-curdling evening. Performances of Dracula at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Newton continue on Friday and Saturday evenings with some matinees through February 8th. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.newtontheatrecompany.com/
