draculareview

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Draculara

For too long we have been plagued by the male voice. Women are taking over with Van Helsing being a strong powerful woman of color. She takes over the performance with her beautiful presence. Only if the Director could bring a powerful presence to their choices.

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Lapine was an amazing Woman (WE STAND FOR WOMEN) but unlike me and my relationships she needs to COMMIT. So many moments that would have made the performance didn’t because she didn’t commit. Like Renfield onstage spectating for only select scenes in the beginning, not a look. Or the characters turning in a circle to show a passage of time, We loved that. But it wasn’t enforced or seen consistently so we do not stand.

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Similar to the Director Kate Hamill, the playwright, needed to make a commitment. She wanted way too much in her play from the modern comedy to the 19th century. It was set in the 19th century the comedy should of stayed there too. But the women character development, amazing. The women started off as if a typical male wrote it. Once Van Helsing came on stage the characters blossomed. The women were strong and had multiple dimensions to them. A true feminist icon.

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So the actors definitely made some interesting choices. Minor inconsistencies with the male characters like Dracula’s transylvanian accent. Was this a choice? Or an insight on Matthew Amendt’s voice work? Otherwise the actors, AMAZING. Van Helsing KICKASS JOB!!!!!  She was gritty with immense take no-shit vibes. Mina Harker will NOT be oppressed by her husband and she tells us that. She was 7 months pregnant and still slaying. Actors made those strong choices and showed the world.

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The set was simple, but it did its job and allowed the other design elements to shine. The most ornate part of the set was the deck, which was painted an elegant marble. But the biggest thing about the set that stood out to me was that fucking curtain.  I often found myself looking at the curtain asking “why?”. Why was it only on one side of the stage? Why was it always in the way? The only good thing they did with the curtain was draping it over the bed to create the tomb. BUT SET DESIGN SIMPLE. SLEEK. SPLENDID. 

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We NEED to talk about the costume design. When I saw Mina’s vampire dress that was dripping with scarlet gems, LOST IT. I grabbed my friend’s hand sitting next to me for support. SEDUCTIVE. SINFUL. SUPERB. The use of red with the contrast of the white fabric throughout the production, striking. When you saw the red, you knew. Vampires were here or that danger was around the corner.

The one problem was Van Helsing’s costume. They did her dirty. She wore modern clothing. She wears pants, which is obviously not in line with the social norms and what is expected of women in Victorian England, but this isn’t what bothers me. What bothers me is that it was all contemporary clothing. They totally could’ve gotten away with dressing Van Helsing in pants, if it was period clothing. Instead she’s wearing contemporary boots and a contemporary leather jacket.

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Even though the costume design had its mistakes, the overall design, PHENOMENAL. The different design elements worked together to pull the performance together. The actors made bold choices, while the director and playwright couldn’t. The feminist Dracula was what we needed. An interesting sight to see.