A Gothic Tale, Bloody and Action Packed (Clarksville Little Theatre)

Dracula

Adapted by William McNulty

Directed by Zackary Ross

Review by Kate Barry

Entire contents are copyright @2025 by Kate Barry. All rights reserved.

As you walk into Clarksville Little Theatre, you are covered in a red light. The stage is bare except for a door and gramophone. The stage maintains stillness with the promise of something lurking in the wings. Soon we meet a poor soul thrown into asylum after a dark visitor drives him to madness. Dracula at Clarksville Little Theatre delivers an adventurous production with plenty of scares and suspense.

Technically speaking, Dracula’s director Zackary Ross has crafted a fully realized and cohesive production. Ross has made smart choices with dubbed voices, creaks, screams and other sound effects to establish mood. With shadows, darkness and light, the audience is fully immersed in a world where a monster is on the loose and could strike at any moment. The movement and presence of “The Monster” (operated by Finn Anthony Matzek and Patrick Parrish Jr) is effectively eerie and nearly hovers beyond its intimidating size.

This version of Dracula introduces Renfield at the start, played with a twitch and mania by Seth Kelly. Driven by obsession and threat of the Count’s presence ever leering, Kelly’s Renfield delicately balances between full on fear and moments of lucidity. Here is a character who is a victim looking for someone to believe him. Renfield finds solidarity with Abram Van Helsing, played by Jason Jones. As Van Helsing pieces the clues of those who have fallen victim with bite marks, Jones channels a logical detective in search of justice.

In the role of Dr. Thomas Seward, Neil Brewer brings an emotionally charged performance. Grief stricken by the death of his beloved Mina and horrified by the reign of terror around him, Brewer brings a performance that vulnerable and honest. Ava Vanderkolff’s performance as Lucy takes many shapes. A victim and keen object of desire by the Count, Vanderkolff channels powerful recollections of turmoil as she delivers a monologue about her encounter with a beast in a cemetery. Her Lucy experiences a strong turn from posh to seductive under the Count’s mind control. Vanderkolff’s Lucy shares a scene with Jonathan Harker (a properly British Caden Steveson) that shows the magnitude of the Count’s powers.

And then of course, there is Count Dracula played with a cool confident villainy by Paul DePrey. Fueled by blood lust and power to prove it, DePrey’s Dracula is ruthless and grows more dangerous with each victim. Accompanied by the brides and Mina (gloriously gory appearances by Shelby Fluhr, Artemis Jones and Holly Kissel) and the Child (a striking Quinn Campbell), DePrey’s Dracula continues to feed with abandon. That is, until his show down with Jones’ Van Helsing; a spectacle of a fight sequence, indeed.

William McNulty’s version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula has become somewhat of a staple during Halloween season in the area. Patrons flocked to see this production every year and took note of the adjustments and twists every season. The play was an annual favorite and became as reliable as The Nutcracker in December. So why was the play removed from an annual season offering? Why stop a good thing that guarantees an audience? The answer was never clear. Luckily, Clarksville Little Theatre has carried on the tradition. In its second season, Clarksville Little Theatre has staged the gothic tale as a season extra. And this bloody, action packed seasonal favorite is guaranteed to entertain and thrill. And we only hope to see it next year.

Dracula

Clarksville Little Theatre

October 17-18, 23-25@730 pm October 19 & 26@ 2p 301 Montgomery Ave. Clarksville, IN 47129 www.clarksvillelittletheatre.org