Footlight to Feature The Passion of Dracula

DraculaGet ready for a frightfully fun night of romance and horror with Footlight Players' "The Passion of Dracula."

This version of the Dracula legend based on the 1897 Bram Stoker novel is set in an English mental institution in 1920. Several village girls in the surrounding countryside have died under mysterious circumstances. In her directorial debut, Alice Dickey has put her unique touch on the play’s characters and setting.

"Our Dracula (Aram Arden) may not look like your typical Dracula, but believe me when I say he will send chills down your spine as he goes from a charming old world tourist to a maniacal monster, who is setting the stage for his plan to let vampires rule the world," Dickey said.

Dracula's attention is focused on attaining the heroine of our story, Wilhemina Murray (Calla Holmes-Robbins). She, in the course of the show, falls in love with the dashing reporter, Jonathan Harker (Jeffry Zimmerman). Her uncle, Abraham Van Helsing (David Mikolajczyk), catches on to Dracula's plans from the very beginning and is determined not to let Wilhemina fall into Dracula's hands. In the background we have Cedric Seward (Sean Phillips), the head of the sanitorium; Dracula’s puppet, the insane Renfield (Alexander Bonner); butler Jameson (Thomas Wright); Lord Godalming (Aaron Collings), a member of the British parliament and the benefactor of the sanitorium; and Helga van Zandt (Amanda Monson), a psychologist who is helping find a cure for Wilhemina's "ailment."

"It has all the drama of Bram Stoker's original work, but with an almost B-movie cheesiness," Dickey said. "The show will keep you on a roller coaster, going from laughter to chills as the cast of characters amuse you and frighten you at the same time."

Tickets are $12.00 for adults and $10.00 on Thursdays and for ages 12 and under. Show dates are Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 24-27, curtain at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Doors open 45 minutes prior to curtain. Reservations will be held until 15 minutes prior to curtain unless secured by the presentation of a Footlight Season Gift Card or by prior payment in full. A 2-for-1 coupon is available for opening night, Friday, Oct. 18.on our web site. Also on Saturday, Oct. 19, tickets will be $10.00 for those who come fully dressed in a Halloween costume!

Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling 219-874-4035 or online www.footlightplayers.org.

Footlight Theatre is at 1705 Franklin St., Michigan City.