Dracula: Lord of Vampires October 30, 2011

A new play by Wayne Miller (based on the original book by Bram Stoker). Filled with exciting new twists, Dracula comes to Renaissance Theatre's Main Stage starting Oct. 14. If Hollywood, pop culture, and teenage girls are to be believed, vampires are sensitive creatures that sparkle in the sunlight and date underage females. But some 6000 years of folklore contradict this sappy new stereotype. The vampire, as cultural archetype, is older than human civilization, and is anything but sweet and sensitive.

"Vampires are the most human-like of all monsters," says Wayne Miller, writer and co-director (along with Kelly Sims) of Dracula: Lord of the Vampires. "Dracula is the most famous, or infamous, vampire of all time,' Miller says. "He is arguably the most recognizable (semi) fictional character in the world. The role has been portrayed on stage and screen more than any other. He's even made his way onto Sesame Street. It would be hard to find anybody, anywhere, who hasn't heard of Dracula". When writing his play, Miller found this universal familiarity with the character to be both blessing and curse. "When people see that name up on a marquee, that's a guaranteed draw," he says. "On the other hand, everybody has either read the book or seen the movies. Whether it's from Bram Stoker's novel or the Deane and Balderston play made famous by Bela Lugosi, people know Dracula, and they know how this story goes."

Which is why Miller chose to take many of the story's conventions and "shake them up." Tickets for Dracula are $15.00. Showtimes for Dracula are October 14-16 at 7:30pm, Oct 20-23 at 7:30pm, and Oct 27-30 at 7:30pm. There will be a Dinner Theatre on October 29 at 6:00pm with the show to follow directly after at 7:30pm. Tickets for Dinner Theatre (which includes both dinner and show are $36, reservations required). Call (256) 536-3117.

Official Website: http://www.renaissancetheatre.net