What do you think?
Rate this book
Dracula: A Thriller in 2 Acts
Before acclaimed playwright and filmmaker Neil LaBute became the creator and showrunner of Syfy’s hit series Van Helsing , he had already adapted Dracula for the stage—with a fierce female Van Helsing as the vampire hunter.
In this masterful adaptation, Neil LaBute brings a rich theatricality and his provocative way with language and story to the world of Count Dracula, Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker, and his beloved Mina—this time, with very much a mind of her own—infusing the classic gothic tale of terror, obsession, and pathos with a modern edge. Chilling yet stylish in its atmosphere, dark yet deeply human in its emotional impact, Neil LaBute’s A Thriller in 2 Acts is a tribute to both LaBute’s dramatic vision and the timelessness of Stoker’s novel.
In this masterful adaptation, Neil LaBute brings a rich theatricality and his provocative way with language and story to the world of Count Dracula, Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker, and his beloved Mina—this time, with very much a mind of her own—infusing the classic gothic tale of terror, obsession, and pathos with a modern edge. Chilling yet stylish in its atmosphere, dark yet deeply human in its emotional impact, Neil LaBute’s A Thriller in 2 Acts is a tribute to both LaBute’s dramatic vision and the timelessness of Stoker’s novel.
- GenresPlays
112 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2019
About the author
Neil LaBute
85 books122 followersNeil LaBute is an American film director, screenwriter and playwright.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, LaBute was raised in Spokane, Washington. He studied theater at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At BYU he also met actor Aaron Eckhart, who would later play leading roles in several of his films. He produced a number of plays that pushed the envelope of what was acceptable at the conservative religious university, some of which were shut down after their premieres. LaBute also did graduate work at the University of Kansas, New York University, and the Royal Academy of London.
In 1993 he returned to Brigham Young University to premier his play In the Company of Men, for which he received an award from the Association for Mormon Letters. He taught drama and film at IPFW in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the early 1990s where he adapted and filmed the play, shot over two weeks and costing $25,000, beginning his career as a film director. The film won the Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival, and major awards and nominations at the Deauville Film Festival, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Society of Texas Film Critics Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle.
LaBute has received high praise from critics for his edgy and unsettling portrayals of human relationships. In the Company of Men portrays two misogynist businessmen (one played by Eckhart) cruelly plotting to romance and emotionally destroy a deaf woman. His next film Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), with an ensemble cast including Eckhart and Ben Stiller, was a shockingly honest portrayal of the sex lives of three suburban couples. In 2000 he wrote an off-Broadway play entitled Bash: Latter-Day Plays, a set of three short plays (Iphigenia in orem, A gaggle of saints, and Medea redux) depicting essentially good Latter-day Saints doing disturbing and violent things. One of the plays was a much-talked-about one-person performance by Calista Flockhart. This play resulted in his being disfellowshipped from the LDS Church. He has since formally left the LDS Church.
LaBute's 2002 play The Mercy Seat was one of the first major theatrical responses to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Set on September 12, it concerns a man who worked at the World Trade Center but was away from the office during the attack — with his mistress. Expecting that his family believes that he was killed in the towers' collapse, he contemplates using the tragedy to run away and start a new life with his lover. Starring Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver, the play was a commercial and critical success.
LaBute's latest film is The Wicker Man, an American version of a British cult classic. His first horror film, it starred Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn and was released on September 1, 2006 by Warner Bros. Pictures to scathing critical reviews and mediocre box office.
He is working with producer Gail Mutrux on the screen adaptation of The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, LaBute was raised in Spokane, Washington. He studied theater at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At BYU he also met actor Aaron Eckhart, who would later play leading roles in several of his films. He produced a number of plays that pushed the envelope of what was acceptable at the conservative religious university, some of which were shut down after their premieres. LaBute also did graduate work at the University of Kansas, New York University, and the Royal Academy of London.
In 1993 he returned to Brigham Young University to premier his play In the Company of Men, for which he received an award from the Association for Mormon Letters. He taught drama and film at IPFW in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the early 1990s where he adapted and filmed the play, shot over two weeks and costing $25,000, beginning his career as a film director. The film won the Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival, and major awards and nominations at the Deauville Film Festival, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Society of Texas Film Critics Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle.
LaBute has received high praise from critics for his edgy and unsettling portrayals of human relationships. In the Company of Men portrays two misogynist businessmen (one played by Eckhart) cruelly plotting to romance and emotionally destroy a deaf woman. His next film Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), with an ensemble cast including Eckhart and Ben Stiller, was a shockingly honest portrayal of the sex lives of three suburban couples. In 2000 he wrote an off-Broadway play entitled Bash: Latter-Day Plays, a set of three short plays (Iphigenia in orem, A gaggle of saints, and Medea redux) depicting essentially good Latter-day Saints doing disturbing and violent things. One of the plays was a much-talked-about one-person performance by Calista Flockhart. This play resulted in his being disfellowshipped from the LDS Church. He has since formally left the LDS Church.
LaBute's 2002 play The Mercy Seat was one of the first major theatrical responses to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Set on September 12, it concerns a man who worked at the World Trade Center but was away from the office during the attack — with his mistress. Expecting that his family believes that he was killed in the towers' collapse, he contemplates using the tragedy to run away and start a new life with his lover. Starring Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver, the play was a commercial and critical success.
LaBute's latest film is The Wicker Man, an American version of a British cult classic. His first horror film, it starred Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn and was released on September 1, 2006 by Warner Bros. Pictures to scathing critical reviews and mediocre box office.
He is working with producer Gail Mutrux on the screen adaptation of The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 25, 2023
I'm not entirely familiar with the source material here, and for the most part this is well written... However. As far as character structure growth and development, this leaves a lot to be desired. For example, Mina in this adaptation is a much stronger and headstrong person than I am lead to believe she is in the original novel. In fact, both Jonathan and Arthur are called out by Mina for their casual sexist statements and ideas they have. So naturally you would think one or both of those men would be challenged by this, or learn, or refuse to learn, or it would play into the plot. Not the case. Both characters go about their business as usual and do not even reflect on this at all. Soooo what's the point here? Does the author just feel bad about not writing "strong women" in the past so he has one lady that says that she doesn't think that men should think less of women and calls it a day? Or maybe that's harsh. Maybe Neil LaBute really struggled with trying to be true to the material and still not have such a damsel in distress at the same time, which proved hard to fit together. Whatever the case, it's still a fun read, if not maybe a little lazy. 5/10
October 25, 2019
Whether reviewing Neil Labute's 'Dracula: A Thriller In Two Acts', free adaptation of Bram Stoker's DRACULA, with the source work in mind or as a play in it's own right, it is truly a marvelously refreshing and engaging piece of work that will ensnare the reader (and hopefully, one day, the theatre audience) until the final word.
It is the timeless tale of Count Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England in order to spread the curse of the undead as well as the perpetual search for fresh blood, and the mortal battle between Dracula and a small group led by the strong, experienced, female Professor Van Helsing, vampire hunter.
There are quite a few welcomed differences to the writing format, the plot and the roles of the characters used to tell the gothic tale.
In a wonderfully theatrical schema, instead of the strictly epistolary format used throughout the original work, LaBute masterfully utilizes the opening of a scene in which the character narrates their journal entries, letters, telegrams et al as segue to continued dialogue between characters.
The eloquent discourse throughout the play of the traditional roles and expectations for females, as well as for males, expresses for both women and men the sincere bafflement, frustration and struggle still felt by today's society. The interactions between the intelligent, strong willed Mina and her domineering, traditional, patronizing fiance, Jonathan Harker are full of the power struggles that are often seen in modern relationships.
One of the changes to the plot in regards to sending William Renfield, instead of Jonathan Harker, to Transylvania to meet with the Count concerning the purchase of an estate in England makes much more sense. Especially in regards to Renfield's subsequently becoming a patient at the asylum.
There is a condensing of characters, such as Lucy's suitor, the doctor of the asylum, and the former student of Van Helsing, is all rolled into one character and is simply known as Arthur. This works very well to carry the story along at a comfortable pace.
For both fans of theatre as well as fans of the darkly, chilling terror filled world of Dracula and his nemesis, Van Helsing, this is a play in which the reader will be sure to devour with a robust appetite.
It is the timeless tale of Count Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England in order to spread the curse of the undead as well as the perpetual search for fresh blood, and the mortal battle between Dracula and a small group led by the strong, experienced, female Professor Van Helsing, vampire hunter.
There are quite a few welcomed differences to the writing format, the plot and the roles of the characters used to tell the gothic tale.
In a wonderfully theatrical schema, instead of the strictly epistolary format used throughout the original work, LaBute masterfully utilizes the opening of a scene in which the character narrates their journal entries, letters, telegrams et al as segue to continued dialogue between characters.
The eloquent discourse throughout the play of the traditional roles and expectations for females, as well as for males, expresses for both women and men the sincere bafflement, frustration and struggle still felt by today's society. The interactions between the intelligent, strong willed Mina and her domineering, traditional, patronizing fiance, Jonathan Harker are full of the power struggles that are often seen in modern relationships.
One of the changes to the plot in regards to sending William Renfield, instead of Jonathan Harker, to Transylvania to meet with the Count concerning the purchase of an estate in England makes much more sense. Especially in regards to Renfield's subsequently becoming a patient at the asylum.
There is a condensing of characters, such as Lucy's suitor, the doctor of the asylum, and the former student of Van Helsing, is all rolled into one character and is simply known as Arthur. This works very well to carry the story along at a comfortable pace.
For both fans of theatre as well as fans of the darkly, chilling terror filled world of Dracula and his nemesis, Van Helsing, this is a play in which the reader will be sure to devour with a robust appetite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2026
Not great from labute. I just didn’t like it that much. Also I wanted Dracula to win
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews