Frights, cameras, action! When comedy collides with horror, it creates a bone-chilling watch that all must see. This year’s fall drama production is “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.” So, if you’re looking for a good fright and an even greater laugh, you’re going to want to sink your fangs into this Dracula parody in October for a scary good time.
This modernized version of Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic gothic horror novel, “Dracula,” was written by Gordon Greenburg and, according to concordtheatricals.com, first rose to life onstage on Sept. 4, 2023.
The play features a small cast of witty characters meant to leave the audience laughing so hard they need to hold their stomachs. For RCHS students, there are two casts: the Transylvania cast and the London cast.
As each of the casts begins to prep and rehearse, they reflect on what they anticipate most about the upcoming play.
“I am most excited to work with both my counterpart as well as my castmates in order to create this amazing show and bring each of these characters to life,” said senior Maia Gierczak. “I always have so much fun on the stage and I’m looking forward to bonding with the roles I’ve been given.”
Gierczak is cast as both Mina Westfeldt and Jean Van Helsing in the Transylvania cast.
“I play both Mina Westfeldt and Jean Van Helsing,” said Gierczak. “With Mina, I love her energy and comedic element that she brings to the show. As for Jean Van Helsing, I definitely feel connected to her headstrong character. She is always willing to be in the center of the action and is a true leader. She is strong, independent, and always speaks her mind which is something I truly admire about her.”
Junior Malcolm Whitehead also expresses what he is looking forward to in the play.
“I’m excited to see the set get built,” said Whitehead. “I’m excited to work with my cast mates and just get to know everyone better.”
Whitehead also describes how he connects to his character while explaining his character as a whole.
“I’m Jonathan Harker. I am the timid London lawyer who’s afraid of his own shadow, scared of everything, until he gets bit by a vampire, and then he loosens up a lot,” said Whitehead. “I could relate to him; he’s not used to a new environment, he gets really scared, and he’s simply just there for business, so I can relate to him because whenever I get into a new environment, I’m sort of shy, timid, scared of the people and the things around me.”
While some of the cast members link themselves strongly to their characters, others feel the complete opposite.
“I am Count Dracula in the play; he’s very different from who I am,” said senior Sophia Guglielmino. “I don’t feel a connection so far, I assume once I actually start looking into the character and getting more involved with him, that I’ll be able to build more of a connection and something I can relate to, but currently he’s the exact opposite of who I am.”
Sophomore Aron Haselwander, who plays both Dr. Westfeldt and Renfield, shared his lack of connection within his roles.
“I don’t really feel any personal connections to my characters, but I do like playing fun, wacky, silly characters,” said Haselwander. “Dr. Westfeldt is a doctor, and a misogynist, and Renfield is a crazy guy. I like to think of myself as a comedic actor first and foremost, so I do like playing a psycho and misogynist because that’s just funny.”
To this cast, drama isn’t just performing on a stage; it’s about creating memories with the people around them. When asked if the drama department was inspiring, the cast gave in-depth answers as to why it was.
“Of course it is,” said senior Scarlet Shampine. “You get to explore the emotions of different characters and it kind of gives you an input on how different people feel around you.”
Guglielmino also explained why drama inspires her.
“I think drama is very inspiring,” said Guglielmino. “You reconnect with each other a lot more than just acting backstage or on stage. We really work together and try our best to understand our thought processes throughout the show, and it’s just inspiring to see how well people will get along with each other to make this show happen.”
The cast of “Dracula: A Comedy Of Terrors” rehearses Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Rehearsals are led by RCHS drama director Mr. James Loudermilk, who has been directing the drama program for five years; this is currently his tenth show with Rancho.
While the cast is excited to either work on their characters or watch the set being built, Loudermilk said he anticipates other things.
“This is a really fast-paced, comedic show, so the thing that I’m most excited for is to see how the students incorporate physicality into their characters,” said Loudermilk. “So, I want to see different, really different, characters for this show.”
He went on to explain his feelings about the new cast.
“We have a whole lot of new people this year,” Loudermilk said. “We got a lot of freshmen that came out to audition, so it’s like a whole new crew, which is exciting.”
