Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” creeps into Missoula
Published: October 21, 2011
Just in time for Halloween, Missoula Community Theatre opens its season Oct. 21 with “Dracula.”
“It’s a great show for Missoula,” says director TJ Charlson. “There’s such a wide range of talents onstage. We have everyone from Hollywood actors to people who have never performed before. It’s a true cross-section of Missoula talent.”
As the story unfolds, young Lucy Seward (Andrea Asta) has been strangely listless ever since the arrival of her unusual neighbor, Count Dracula (Howard Kingston). And the patients at her father’s sanitarium have been agitated as well. Even the well-known specialist, Dr. Van Helsing (Alan Gelman), cannot explain the strange goings-on.
Based on the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker and adapted to the stage by Hamilton Deane in 1924, this well-known vampire story is set in Victorian-era England. The novel has been a major influence on the popularity of vampires since its release, leading to countless film and stage adaptations of the story.
“This show is different because it challenges peoples’ expectations of what they think vampires are. This isn’t ‘True Blood’ or ‘Twilight,’ it’s the original story that put vampires into the public mind,” says Charlson.
He adds that the production is “guaranteed to bring shivers to the audience.”
“Dracula” performances are 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 21-30 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Ticket are $17 to $21, and are available by phone at 406-728-7529 or online at http://www.mctinc.org, or from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the box office at 200 North Adams Street, or on performance dates one hour prior to show time.
