On a snowy night, along a dark, ice-covered street, theater patrons enter an unprepossessing space. They have come to see Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Although Milwaukee’s Alchemist Theater is in its sixth season here, it’s still considered by many as one of the Milwaukee area’s fringe theaters. Perhaps its location in remote Bayview, far south of downtown Milwaukee, is part of the reason Alchemist stays in the shadows.
Or perhaps, the theater company’s members want to remain far from downtown’s glare. The Alchemist Theater’s lobby is dimly lit. It has a funky vibe, with such decorative items as old-fashioned slide projectors, car speakers that once were a fixture at outdoor movies, and retro wall clocks. In one corner, an old, dented motorcycle is topped by a Western horse saddle. The lobby isn’t exactly creepy, but it’s odd enough to get an audience in the mood for Dracula. The lobby’s full bar allows patrons a chance to muster their courage before the show.
This is the fourth adaptation of Dracula staged by Milwaukee playwright Aaron Kopec. This reviewer learned that about 90 percent of a previous production’s cast has returned to play their now-familiar roles in the piece. All the familiar characters in Bram Stoker’s novel are in attendance here, from Jonathan and his fiancée, Mina, to the wily Lucy, the demented Renfield, and a trio of vampire brides. Interestingly, the roles of Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing are played in this production by women, skewing the cast toward the female gender.
The theater’s mighty surround sound is used to full effect, as the audience hears wolf howls, thunder or a rumbling train on its way to Transylvania. This is accompanied by impressive lighting effects, too.
The single set is cartoon-like in its design. Its slightly cheesy appearance sets a humorous tone for the production. Much of the dialogue is delivered as seriously as Shakespeare. But there are some exceptionally funny lines inserted into the script. Many of them are uttered by Beth Lewinski as Dr. Van Helsing. (It’s a shame that Van Helsing doesn’t appear until relatively late in the production, long after Count Dracula (Kurtis Wizlsteiner) has made his mark on a few victims.) Lewinski’s deadpan delivery and no-nonsense manner is hands-down hilarious. For instance, Mina (Anna Figlesthaler), the ingénue, asks Van Helsing whether it’s proper for her to steal a few items from a nearby church. Van Helsing responds offhandedly that her own task – to literally burn Mina’s bratty second cousin in the backyard – makes Mina’s theft minor in comparison.
The entire cast works well as an ensemble, with especially noteworthy performances by Witzlsteiner as a tall, thin and truly scary-looking Dracula; Randall T. Anderson, a James Bond look-alike who plays the debonair Jonathan; the wickedly funny Liz Whiteford as a bisexual Lucy; the aforementioned Figlesthaler and Lewinski as Mina and Van Helsing; and Sharon Nieman-Koebert as Mina’s mother, Dr. Seward.
Hats off, as well, to the trio of sexy vampire brides. Finally, Harold Loeffler-Bell impresses as the bug-eating lunatic, Renfield. Of all the characters, it is perhaps Renfield who reflects the most honest reaction to his close encounters with Dracula.
Although there’s some naughty behavior and language in the bedroom, the play is basically PG-rated. Theatergoers who want pure camp or yearn for more graphic blood-letting won’t find it here. Dracula veers briefly into this territory but also remains true to the themes found in Bram Stoker’s novel.
