‘Dracula’ at convergence-continuum Hits All the Right Veins

There are so many vampire stories out there that you’d assume that we’d have tired of the blood-sucking, garlic-fearing monsters by now. Yet, their appeal is seemingly as death-defying as the creatures themselves, especially when they are portrayed with slapstick absurdity.

“Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” by Gordon Greenbers and Steve Rosen tells the story of Dracula in a satire that blends together the comedy stylings of Monty Python, Mel Brooks and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. convergence–continuum leans head-first into the campy ridiculousness of the script to offer up a night of comedy that goes straight for the jugular.

Harker, a young solicitor, has traveled to Transylvania to finalize a land deal with a wealthy client, Count Dracula. When Dracula sees a portrait of Harker’s fiancée, Lucy, he decides that he must have her for himself. Both men travel back to England, with Harker intending to celebrate his upcoming nuptials and Dracula intending to seduce Lucy. When people begin falling ill and falling dead, including Lucy’s sister, Dr. Van Helsing is summoned to help determine just who or what is leaving mysterious puncture marks on victims’ necks.

convergence–contiuum’s director, Scott Zolkowski, can be commended for coordinating this fast-paced madcap that runs for 90 non-stop minutes–especially when practically every minute delivers one laugh at the very least.

While the play is based off Bram Stoker’s Dracula, “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” which premiered off-Broadway in 2023, takes plenty of liberties. This includes gender-bending characters, a dozen or so of whom are played by just five cast members.

They do so by employing a variety of increasingly ridiculous accents and quickly swapping into and out of costumes and wigs. The wardrobe designed by Amanda Rowe Van Allen consists of 1890s period wear… in addition to leather pants with a lace-up crotch. This latter outfit is worn by the ultra sexy Dracula, played by Samuel J. Bartlett, who readily bares both his fangs and his chest.

Bartlett, with curls falling into his face and gloss shining on his lips, moves about the stage with a prowl that gushes swagger and confidence. He brings warmth to the role, allowing for rare tender moments, although most of his time on stage is met with hilarity due to his posturing, posing and promiscuity as he tries to seduce and suck the blood of other characters.

His main target, Lucy, is played by Katherine Nash. Nash’s Lucy is clever, driven and adventurous. While her husband-to-be shies away from danger, Lucy isn’t afraid to face it head-on. She is also far more eager to be intimate with him, which makes for a fun romantic subplot between her and Harker, played by Carson Betts.

Betts’ Harker is one of the most rational characters of the show. Harker is a nervous man who is afraid of germs and monsters and the dark–with good reason. While he is certainly the least eccentric of the eclectic group of characters, Betts is undeniably charming.

Playing gender-bent roles are Leo Fez and Emily Schrader. Fez and Schrader work overtime to portray multiple characters, pulling on wigs, running to different entrances and masking their faces as they voice other characters from on-stage.

Fez, who has crazy, expressive eyes and a fantastic mustache, plays Lucy’s sister, Mina, the far less desirable sister of the Westfedlt family. Fez twiddles the long red hair of his wig and swirls his skirts flirtatiously, making it all the more hilarious when Mina’s mustachioed advances are refused. He also dons a hilariously thick German accent for his portrayal of Dr. Jean Van Helsing, the strong-willed doctor.

Equally funny is Schrader, who plays multiple male characters, including Lucy and Mina’s father, Dr. Westfedlt, and the household’s creepy servant, Renfield. Schrader has incredible vocal power and a penchant for memorable accents. Her comedic timing and stage presence are delightful, making her an actress to watch.

Cory Molner’s moody, wallpapered set design is peppered with an assortment of portraits and serves as the backdrop for Dracula’s castle and the Westfedlt home. A central set of double doors allows for grand entrances and exits, most notably for Dracula and the clouds of fog that accompany his melodramatic arrivals.

Molner is also responsible for the sound design, which is practically non-stop. The action is complemented by all manner of howls and growls and theatrical music stings, all of which are impressively timed for how often they occur. The same can be said for Robert Wachala’s lighting design, which is prone to intense shifts between blues, reds and purples, with flashes of lightning to boot.

The only creative element in the show that was found lacking were the props, like the drinking glasses, cape and chains, which couldn’t quite stand up to the rigorous physicality they were subjected to on the night of my attendance.

There’s no arguing that “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” at convergence-continuum is downright ridiculous: there are stick horses, bats attached to a stick with fishing wire, puppets and a dummy wearing a wig. But that ridiculousness is performed with a lot of heart and some pretty astute comedic timing.

It may be yet another vampire story, but this one hits all the right veins.

“Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” runs through October 25 at convergence-continuum, 2438 Scranton Road, Cleveland. Visit convergence-continuum.org or call 216-687-0074 for tickets, $18-$23.