A Shiver Down the Spine: Behind the Creation of the Fall Play Dracula
October, 2023
Bram Stoker’s Dracula has terrified and delighted generations of readers with its quintessentially gothic good versus evil battle of wits. Now, The Nighthawk Cast is bringing this spectacularly eerie show to life November 9-11 at 6:30 PM, with a Saturday matinee at 2:00 . As a cast member, I’d like to offer an inside perspective on the creation of this unique performance before audiences are beckoned into the darkness for a high stakes night of vampirism (pun entirely intended).
Of this multifaceted show, the most fascinating aspect may be the audience. Seating will be done in a style known as theatre in the round, meaning that viewers watch the play from all sides of the stage while actors perform in the middle. This style is seen in famous theaters around the world - most notably Shakespeare’s Globe - and you can even see theatre in the round at Denver Center for Performing Arts’ very own Kilstrom Theater. For Northfield, this entails bringing audience members onto the stage and closing the curtains to form a black box. It will mean a couple things:
For the Audience:
Actors are going to be close! If you sit in the front row, be prepared for some interaction with performers. The immersive proximity will also highlight the intricacies of set pieces, lighting, sound and props.
Not all performers will be facing you. While you will be able to see at least one person’s face at all times, some actors will be looking in different directions.
For the Actors & Crew:
Perspective is highly important. Typically, the term “cheat out” is used to remind actors to direct their bodies out towards the audience, almost as if they are performing on a two dimensional plane. Theatre in the round is three dimensional and dynamic, requiring performers to balance the amount of time they spend standing still with movement that allows everyone to see them.
Set pieces cannot block the view. “Flats”, or moveable scenery painted or attached to vertically positioned boards, are staples of the theatre industry. The problem? They can only be seen from one side. In this show, the crew is repurposing flats to create wings, and using furniture such as antique conversation chairs and a backless chaise to ensure that audiences have a good view from any angle.
Lighting is incredibly nuanced. While stage lighting is always a precise art, theatre in the round brings the added work of highlighting the stage while keeping the audience dark.
Aside from performing in the round, an international play challenges performers and directors alike. While accents are difficult to perfect and are therefore sparingly used in educational theatre, the development and portrayal of English and eastern European vernacular, inflection, culture and social cues is something that is focused on throughout the rehearsal process. Especially given the time period - the Stoker novel was written in 1897 and the play is set in the same era - the way a character speaks and moves can indicate if they are a doctor or servant, nobleman or nurse. As a cast, we have spent time discussing the parts of the body that a character might “lead” with, seated and standing posture on stage, and the different inflections that represent social class.
Finally, Dracula has an abundance of interpretations, including movies, cartoons, plays, and more. In addition to an introductory week discussing the history of the original book, the structure of a gothic story, and Vlad the Impaler from whom the tale gained inspiration, the cast and crew of Northfield’s fall play also visited a local production of Dracula in order to develop insight into their characters. Shannon Studts, who will be playing Renfield in Northfield’s performance, commented “It was absolutely incredible to see a professional actor be so enveloped in the role, and seeing that performance has absolutely inspired me to portray Renfield with as much vigor and energy as [Johnathan Underwood] did”. Our crew even has the opportunity to borrow props from the local play, which was produced by Firehouse Theatre Company in the John Hand theater.
It has been a joy for the entire cast and crew to build and rehearse this show and all the terror that comes with it. If you would like to see the production after learning about its unique development process, you can find tickets here. Claim your seat quickly, audiences will be limited due to the smaller seating capacity of theatre in the round. Be warned, those who dare to attend, for there are worse things than shadows in the darkness of this theater.
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