BU Theatre Plans Fall Productions
The Bluefield University Theatre Department has planned two performances for this fall semester. The first will be Dracula which will be showing October 27, 28, and 31 at 7:30 p.m. and October 30 at 3 p.m.
Later in the semester, BU Theatre will present A Christmas Carol, December 8-10 at 7:30 p.m. and December 11 at 3 p.m. A Christmas Carol will be a joint production with the Bluefield University Theater Company and Bluefield Youth Theater.
“Dracula is a Gothic thriller that tells the story of the king of vampires,” said Charles Reese, chair of the Department of Communication Arts and artistic director for Bluefield University Theater. “It is based on Bram Stoker‘s 1896 novel. We are doing an adaptation of the script by (Hamilton) Deane and (John) Balderstone. This stage adaptation was written in 1926 and featured Bela Lugosi in the lead role when it premiered.”
According to senior theatre major Brian Fisher, casted as Harker and costume designer for Dracula, the script for Dracula has been rewritten numerous times, each time trying to one-up the previous. The script that the Bluefield University Theatre Department will be performing has been around for close to 100 years, and it really “takes Dracula back to the basics.”
“The audience can expect to see a classic story with plenty of Halloween spookiness and good old-fashioned suspense,” Fisher added.
Joining Fisher in the cast for Dracula are:
Derek Crews as Dracula
Abigail McComas as Lucy
Rebecca McCoy-Reese as Van Helsing
General Smith as Dr. Seward
Noah Jennings as Renfield
Aaron Sudderth as Butterworth
Alicia Townsend as the maid.
Finishing out the semester, the Theatre Department will perform Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
“This musical adaptation features songs by Alan Menken and was originally written for a TV special starring Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge,” Reese said. “It is all songs merriment and holiday goodwill.”
Reese has been with the university for 21 years. This will be his seventh time directing Dracula and 11th for A Christmas Carol. While there has not yet been a casting for A Christmas Carol, Reese has a great love for the scripts and is excited to share them with the Bluefield University campus.
Photos provided by Rampage student photographer Nathan LePere.