Dracula: A Frankensteined Retelling
Dracula: A Frankensteined Retelling
Created by Dr. J’aime Morrison, Professor Larry Biederman and CSUN students
Presented in the Little Theatre
PROJECT APPROACH
This telling of Dracula is based on Bram Stoker’s novel and will be comprised of different styles, approaches, and interpretations of the Dracula story using scenes and concepts generated in the Spring 2025 Dracula development course, further developed by Morrison and Biederman, and created in rehearsal by the ensemble who will perform it. Morrison and Biederman will direct and some additional scenes may be assigned to be directed by student directors within the ensemble.
SYNOPSIS OF THE NOVEL
Dracula by Bram Stoker is an epistolary Gothic horror novel that chronicles the attempt of Count Dracula, an ancient vampire, to relocate from Transylvania to England in order to spread the curse of vampirism. The narrative unfolds through a collection of journals, letters, and newspaper clippings written by multiple characters, primarily Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Lucy Westenra, and Dr. Seward. The story begins with Harker’s harrowing journey to Dracula’s castle and slowly reveals the Count’s sinister nature. As Dracula begins to exert his influence in England—most tragically through the transformation of the innocent Lucy—the group of protagonists, including the learned Professor Van Helsing, band together to confront and destroy the vampire. The novel explores themes of modernity versus ancient evil, gender roles, sexuality, imperialism, and the anxiety of the Other, all under the shadowy veil of Gothic dread.
We will be selecting an ensemble of 13 students who will all play multiple characters and most characters will be played by multiple actors at different times.
The main characters include:
Count Dracula
A centuries-old vampire and the antagonist of the novel. He is a Transylvanian nobleman with vast knowledge, supernatural powers, and a hunger to expand his influence beyond Eastern Europe. Charismatic yet terrifying, he embodies Victorian fears of the foreign, the occult, and the collapse of rationalism.
Jonathan Harker
An English solicitor whose journey to Dracula’s castle begins the narrative. Initially rational and skeptical, he becomes one of the first to witness the Count’s true nature. His imprisonment and escape mark his transformation from naive traveler to determined vampire hunter.
Mina Murray (later Harker)
Jonathan’s fiancée and later wife. Intelligent, resourceful, and emotionally resilient, Mina is a moral compass for the group and often depicted as the ideal Victorian woman. Her connection to Dracula becomes psychic after being bitten, and she serves as a spiritual battleground in the fight against evil.
Lucy Westenra
Mina’s best friend and a symbol of innocent beauty and vulnerability. Courted by three suitors, Lucy is the first English victim of Dracula’s vampirism. Her slow transformation into a “bloodthirsty” predator is both tragic and symbolic of corrupted femininity.
Professor Abraham Van Helsing
A Dutch doctor with encyclopedic knowledge in science, medicine, and folklore. He is summoned to treat Lucy and ultimately becomes the intellectual leader of the vampire-hunting group. Van Helsing combines reason with mysticism, bridging science and superstition.
Dr. John Seward
Head of a lunatic asylum and one of Lucy’s suitors. His scientific journal entries contribute to the novel’s epistolary form. His patient, Renfield, becomes a dark mirror of Dracula’s influence, and Seward’s evolving beliefs reflect a crisis of Victorian rationalism.
Arthur Holmwood (Lord Godalming)
Lucy’s fiancé and a nobleman. Devastated by her death and transformation, Arthur’s grief turns into resolve. He contributes financially and emotionally to the group’s quest, representing aristocratic duty and masculine honor.
Quincey Morris
An adventurous American and one of Lucy’s suitors. Brave, humorous, and loyal, Quincey brings an outsider’s energy to the group. His ultimate sacrifice in the final confrontation casts him as a tragic hero.
Renfield
A patient in Dr. Seward’s asylum who exhibits zoophagous (life-consuming) tendencies and appears mentally unstable. His servitude to Dracula, while fragmented and disturbing, offers insight into the vampire’s growing power and psychological control.
Audition Requirements
Please prepare a 1 minute monologue of your choice.
Callbacks
Wednesday, May 7 - The Experimental Theatre
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
All those called back will be expected to stay for the entirety of the callback period.
Callbacks will consist of movement and devised storytelling exercises, as well as performing multiple characterizations in short scenes taken from the novel or from student scenes.
SIDES 1. DRACULA-JONATHAN.pdf Download SIDES 1. DRACULA-JONATHAN.pdf
SIDES 2. DRACULA-HARKER-RENFIELD.pdf Download SIDES 2. DRACULA-HARKER-RENFIELD.pdf
SIDES 3. ARTHUR-LUCY.pdf Download SIDES 3. ARTHUR-LUCY.pdf
SIDES 4. DRACULA-RENFIELD-DATE.pdf Download SIDES 4. DRACULA-RENFIELD-DATE.pdf
SIDES 5. DRACULA-LUCY.pdf Download SIDES 5. DRACULA-LUCY.pdf
SIDES 6. SEWARD-RENFIELD.pdf Download SIDES 6. SEWARD-RENFIELD.pdf
SIDES 7. VAN HELSING-MINA-(DRACULA).pdf Download SIDES 7. VAN HELSING-MINA-(DRACULA).pdf
SIDES 8. MINA-RENFIELD-DRACULA.pdf Download SIDES 8. MINA-RENFIELD-DRACULA.pdf