MORRISVILLE, PA. – The Actors’ Net of Bucks County revived an old terror as they brought “Dracula”, the play, to The Heritage Center last night.
“Expect a lot of blood,” said Glen Schulkin of Chesterfield, N.J. His wife, Debbie, said they came from 15 minutes away to see her friend, John Pinto, who is an actor in the play. She also said, “I’m expecting it to be somewhat scary.”
The character, Lucy, speaks to audience members after the showing of ‘Dracula,’ Saturday night.
The play depicts good and evil, humans and vampires; friendships and deception, hell and heaven, the living and the dead, great ambitions and superstitions, male dominance, female submission, and tragedies. The characters brought it all to life.
Husband and wife, Joe and Cheryl Doyle, proprietors of The Heritage Center, have been bringing classical plays to the theater for 17 years now.
Mr. Doyle, co-founder, general manager, playwright and in-residence, said last night’s show “is G-rated and is a relatively new adaptation of Dracula.” He said, “We believe it is the most faithful to the Bram Stoker novel. That’s why we chose it.”
The audience packed the 77-seat theater to see the Steven Dietz adaptation of Dracula. The play was in its third week last night. Most Actors’ Net plays last four weeks at The Heritage Center.
The seats inside the Heritage Center are empty at intermission, as the audience breaks for snacks.
The audience’s reaction to Dracula, last night, was basically the same. Some people there were seeing the play for the first time. Others said they have read the books or seen the movie.
An audience member, Kip Cherry of Princeton, N.J., said, “It is very sexual, sensual and suggestive, but it’s not too overt.” She continues, “It makes it mysterious and exciting.”
Most of the audience commented that they enjoyed the play. Those who have read the book or seen the movie believe that the play is a true version of the original.
The cast members come from various backgrounds. Most of them are long-time actors who belong to The Actors’ Net of Bucks County. “Actors come from the Tri-State area: Bucks and Mercer counties and Philly,” said Mr. Doyle. “We have about 50 that come faithfully,” he said.
View Actors’ Net of Bucks County in a larger map
The play was very believable. The characters were emotional, honest and real. According to a cast member, Cat Miller of Bristol, Pa., who played Lucy, “We have to believe in what we are doing 100 per cent.”
DeLarme Landes, who played Dracula, said, “Dracula is hungry and thirsty. He craves an intensity of human experience. It’s really fun to play someone who’s so over the top vicious.” Landes also said that in order to get into character, he had to try to identify with real human desires and needs.
The cast of “Dracula” takes a bow after the play ended Saturday night at The Heritage Center in Morrisville, Pa.
Another dominant character was Professor VanHelsing, played by John Pinto. Pinto said he has read the book, Dracula, and is a big fan. He said, “I had to be very convincing. The professor rises above his real fear to triumph.”
Mary Alice Rubins-Topoleski who played Mina said she wanted the audience to take away a sense of empowerment from the play. She said even though the play showed male dominance it was a woman who killed Dracula.
The Actors’ Net of Bucks County will be bringing other plays to The Heritage Center in the upcoming months. According to Mr. Doyle, “We have done everything from Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon and the classics. We have also done a couple of Austin Pendleton.” He said Pendleton visited The Heritage Center during the showing of one of his plays.