Taproot Theatre's latest production is a new adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as the cast often uses the aisles to rush on and off stage. This is particularly startling if you're sitting in an aisle seat (as I was) when Dracula himself makes a surprise appearance standing next to your seat with his cape flowing.
All the actors are superb in retelling the now familiar tale of Transylvania's most famous citizen, the vampire Count Dracula. And in the intimate setting of Taproot Theatre, the lightening and other effects really do make this into a show for the Halloween season.
Here's how Taproot Theater describes their production of Dracula:
"Taproot's brand new adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula takes you on a chilling adventure following the unlikely allies that join forces to defeat an ancient villain. Dare to enter the crypt as light invades darkness in the ultimate battle between life and death."
Taproot has really created their version to be a blatant clash between good and evil / light and darkness, and they pull out all the stagecraft stops in conveying this battle. Dracula is found buried in a crypt on stage, and his "victim" the beautiful, naïve Lucy Westenra returns in the latter half of the play as a truly bloody and creepy vampire woman.
Then, there's Count Dracula himself, brilliantly played full on by Aaron Lamb. Lamb seems to literally tower over all the other actors and dominate the entire stage (and the aisles) with his creepy presence until the end (no spoiler alert needed here) when good triumphs over evil.
All in all, Taproot's Dracula is a great show perfectly timed for the season and performed with great gusto and precision by an excellent cast. It appropriately continues through Halloween - October 31.
Sign up for Peacock
to stream NBCU shows.