Dracula

by Steven Dietz (Playwright), Bram Stoker (Based on the Novel by)

Tales of vampires have long haunted folklore and literature, but none has had the same impact as Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Since the book's publication in the late 19th century, the blood-sucking Count has been seized on as the ultimate vampire, encountered by children of all ages in innumerable books, films, and television shows.

Genres: Plays, Horror, Theatre, Drama, Vampires, Fiction, School

72 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Steven Dietz is an American playwright whose work is largely performed regionally, i.e. outside of New York City. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Dietz graduated in 1980 with a Theater degree from the University of Northern Colorado. He is the recipient of the PEN U.S.A. Award in Drama (for Lonely Planet); the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award (Fiction and Still Life With Iris); and the Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest Award (The Rememberer). Halcyon Days is one of his other successful plays. Many of his plays are very political. He lives in Seattle.

Reviews

[Reed Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The things I would do to have gotten to see this on the BW mainstage

[Sean McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good adaption of the original story. VERY faithful to the original, possibly to a fault at times. Some scenes run on a bit too long when not much is happening for the sake of staying faithful to the novel, hence the loss of one star. But it's a solid adaption that offers actors a lot to work with!

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best dramatization of the novel ever written...very loyal to the original text. I had the good fortune of portraying Dr. Seward in a production of this script, and would love a crack at Renfield someday!

[Ana Hein · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a lovely adaption of the story with such gorgeous lines

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be seeing this play tomorrow and will be interested in seeing how they portray these events on the stage. Blood is supposed to be plentiful. There are many quick scene changes and multiple stage settings, so it will take some concentration. It should be revolting and somewhat comical at the same time.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the fact that it has remained quite faithful to the novel

However the scene changes are very fast and the sequence of events is off putting and hard to follow and also i don't think the dialogue is all that well written either.

Not one of the best dracula plays i have read and would be a difficult play to put on

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun play to read, and it stayed pretty faithful as an adaptation to the original. I feel like it’s not completely deserving of 5 stars though. Near the end sequence when they’re using Mina to figure out Dracula’s whereabouts, the transitions are very rushed and have a lot less interesting dialogue. I guess it all started to feel crammed together more than I was willing to get into - I of course finished it though. I really liked the stage direction, a lot of the time it was taking up half the page weird enough. It is understandable from a theatre major pov though, why it was crammed near the end. It would’ve dragged a lot more and it’d be hard to change settings as often as it was being called for.

I really loved this play and am looking forward to reading more of his stuff.

[gianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speechless but yet have so much to say. All I have to say is Mina should’ve gotten with Dracula but I mean leave him for me. I wish she didn’t kill him and she were to become a vampire just like Lucy. Dracula has my heart, the dark romance reader in me is showing. Going to go look up retellings now. Still mad that they didn’t get together though and I’m going to go sob my eyes out.

[Allyn R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

genuinely one of my favourite plays i've ever read and i want to perform in it SO BADLY. mr [acting teacher] please choose this for next year i am literally begging you. the end of act 1, the traveling time skip, the curtain call!! i am genuinely going insane over this play

[Lynn King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some odd pacing and a few draggy dialogue spots; but overall an excellent adaptation of the novel!!!

[David Nichols Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice update to the play.

[Mia Guzzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

unrealistic— no one wants to go to england that badly

[Daniel Borcky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful play. Very dark and spooky. I'm set to play Seward in an upcoming production and I can't wait! "We are, all of us, invented."

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modernized version of the Bram Stoker classic that plays well on stage, but manages to diminish Mina's impact while sanitizing Harker.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good stage adaptation of Dracula, which combines the multi-genre elements of the novel's letters, diaries, etc. It features a lot of the main plot elements of the novel, and it effectively builds tension through a complex set and series of technical elements.

One thing I'm not as much a fan of is the continual shifting between scenes through the changing of lighted spaces on stage. I get that this does sometimes work, but it doesn't always visually work well.
https://youtu.be/G76X03PVqeY

[Elizabeth StClair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this play. We're set to perform this next year and I wanted to get a leg up on the competition (although I probably have no shot in hell of getting cast). I could not put this play down. I read it during a service trip and read it In between service sites, during any break longer than five minutes, and late into the night although I was exhausted. My friend read it too and commented that it was much better than the book. Having never read the book, I cannot speak to his opinion, but he said the characters in this play were much more well formed. In addition, the stage directions are amazing. Can't wait for this performance. Wish me luck!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just performed in this beautifully written drama. Deitz's adaptation truly captures the spirit of Bram Stoker's classic without making it cheesy. Very dark, intense, and intimate. I loved every moment of this show.

[Tabitha Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often when it tried too hard to be serious it became silly instead. Unless that was the goal, in which case why leave out Quincy Morris, whose presence would have improved things? Overall entertaining enough.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good blend of humor and horror.