COUNT DRACULA: A Comic Vampire Tale
A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis
At: Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 17401 Jefferson Davis Highway, Colonial Heights, VA 23834
Performances: September 14 – October 20, 2018
Ticket Prices: $40 Theater only; $57 Dinner & Theater
Info: (804) 748-5203 or swiftcreekmill.com
There is no shortage of flying bats, howling wolves, secret passages, or sudden and mysterious appearances and disappearances by Count Dracula himself. There actually are smoke and mirrors involved in this production, along with a few other tricks of the trade. These are things Tom Width, producing artistic director of Swift Creek Mill Theatre does very well indeed. But in yet another sleight of hand, Width did not direct Count Dracula, the opening show of the 2018-2019 season. Instead, that honor went to guest director Mark Costello, a Mill alum who was a teenaged intern on the Mill’s very first opening night in 1965.
Costello keeps things moving during this two-act play, based on Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula. The show runs for two hours and 45 minutes, and the well-chosen cast of nine has some standouts. Kerrigan Sullivan, in the role of Sybil Seward, sister of Dr. Seward, exemplified the comedy horror genre, both in delivery of her lines and with her physical presence, as when she slipped a bottle of sherry into the folds of her robe. For some reason, most of Sullivan’s dresses were sadly ill-fitting, in contrast to the more elegant garments that adorned Caity Brown, who portrayed Mina Murray (the object of the Count’s affections), or the formal suits favored by the male cast members. Credit Maura Lynch Cravey with the costuming.
Levi Meerovich was a solid and lumbering presence as Dr. Seward’s multi-talented servant, nursing assistant, and patient-wrangler, Hennessey, and Joey Gravins was close behind him as his second in command, Wesley. I enjoyed Chandler Hubbard as Mina’s doting fiancé, Jonathan Harker, and Jon Cobb gave a strong performance as vampire expert Heinrich Van Helsing.
Mike White seemed fully committed to his role as Dr. Arthur Seward, in whose Asylum for the Insane the play was set, but one thing I found confusing was what made Seward and Harker suddenly believe in the vampire lore that Van Helsing kept expounding upon. Caity Brown was perfectly cast as Mina Murray, pale and waif-like, yet capable of projecting a powerful, gravelly alter-ego when voicing the soon-to-be-bride of Dracula. I loved Bartley Mullin as Renfield, the fly-eating mental patient and minion of Count Dracula who brings a chillingly weird energy to each scene in which he appears. I have a great admiration for actors who can convincingly and respectfully play the role of an insane, blind, or autistic character.
Last but not least there was Jeremy Gershman in the title role. Gershman appeared to take great delight in his role, swirling his voluminous cape, lurking, looming, and leering in that seductive yet chilling manner that characterizes the best Draculas. I knew where he appeared and disappeared from, but even from my front row seat, I was never once able to detect him getting into position or exiting the space!
The attractive wood paneled set was designed by Frank Foster, with lighting by Joe Doran, special effects by Tom Width, and technical direction by Jason “Blue” Herbert. There are lots of laughs, sufficient chills and thrills, and no blood or gore – the elements of horror that I find off-putting which is why I am not a fan of the horror genre. The strong ensemble, beautiful set, and well-timed tricks and effects are all worth a trip to The Mill, but I did find that the 2:45 running time seemed to drag on a bit, and sometimes there was just too much talking! This talented and confident cast is perfectly capable of telling the story without spelling it all out.
Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.
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