Fear Is Just the Beginning... DRACULA Creeps into AT Louisville Tonight

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein are excited to announce Fifth Third Bank's Dracula, playing in the Bingham Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville, tonight, September 11, through November 1, 2015. His fangs are bared. His eyes glow crimson. Louisville's favorite vampire is back! Based on Bram Stoker's gothic tale of the immortal Transylvanian count and his unexpectedly feisty human prey, this fast-paced, fright-filled adaptation is a Halloween treat that drips with suspense -- and even more blood.

Actors Theatre's version of this timeless cult favorite promises to be Louisville's most thrilling fright fest, leaving audiences with a thirst for more! WilLiam McNulty returns with his adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous novel, gracing the stage as both director and in his established role as Dracula's nemesis, Van Helsing. Also returning for his eighth season, former Acting Apprentice Marc Bovino is back as Renfield. Joining the company for the first time this season will be Shannon Marie Sullivan in the role of Lucy, Andy Gaukel as Mr. Briggs, and Conrad Schott, also a former Acting Apprentice, in the role of Dr. Seward. Dylan Chalfy also joins the company this year in the title role as Dracula himself! Chandler Baker and Mary Charles Miller, local child actors, will dually take on the role of the undead girl. Additionally, several members of the 2015-2016 Acting Apprentice Company will be cast as Harker, Ms. Sullivan, Undead Women, and the Monster.

The creative team will feature scenic design by Paul Owen, lighting design by Tony Penna, costume design by Lorraine Venberg, sound design by Benjamin Marcum, and video design by Philip Allgeier.

In addition, Actors Theatre will host its annual Dracula Blood Drive in partnership with Fifth Third Bank and the Red Cross on September 9th, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Fifth Third Bank at 4th Street Live! The event, which has become an annual tradition during the run of Dracula aims to collect 50 pints! All blood donors will receive a complimentary pizza lunch provided by Bearno's and will be entered into a drawing for two free tickets to Dracula.

Performances will run from September 11-November 1, with an official opening set for September 11. Actors Theatre is committed to providing an accessible theatre-going experience and offers an audio described performance on September 20 and an open captioned performance on October 24 during the run of Dracula. For more information on our facilities and all services offered, visit actorstheatre.org/your-visit/. Tickets are now on sale to the public and are priced from $45. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Actors Theatre Box Office at 502.584.1205 or online at actorstheatre.org. Special ticket rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 502.585.1210.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Dracula Blood Drive

Wednesday, September 9, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Press Opening

Friday, September 11, 7:30 p.m.

Audio Described Performance

Sunday, September 20, 2 p.m.

Open Captioned Performance

Saturday, October 24, 4 p.m.

Now in its 52nd season, Actors Theatre of Louisville, the State Theatre of Kentucky, is the flagship arts organization in the Louisville community. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein, Actors Theatre serves to unlock human potential, build community, and enrich quality of life by engaging people in theatre that reflects the wonder and complexity of our time.

Actors Theatre presents more than 400 performances annually and delivers a broad range of programming, including classics and contemporary work through the Brown-Forman Series, holiday plays, a series of free theatrical events produced by the Apprentice/Intern Company, and the Humana Festival of New American Plays-the premier new play festival in the nation, which has introduced 450 plays into the American theatre repertoire over the past 38 years. In addition, Actors Theatre provides more than 17,000 arts experiences each year to students across the region through its Education Department, and boasts one of the nation's most prestigious continuing pre-professional resident training companies, now in its 43rd year.

Over the past half-century, Actors Theatre has also emerged as one of America's most consistently innovative professional theatre companies, with an annual attendance of 150,000. Actors Theatre has been the recipient of some of the most prestigious awards bestowed on a regional theatre, including a Tony Award for Distinguished Achievement, the James N. Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contribution to the Development of Professional Theatre, and the Margo Jones Award for the Encouragement of New Plays. Actors Theatre has toured to 29 cities and 15 countries worldwide, totaling more than 1,400 appearances internationally. Currently, there are more than 50 published books of plays and criticism from Actors Theatre in circulation -- including anthologies of Humana Festival plays, volumes of ten-minute plays and monologues, and essays, scripts and lectures from the Brown-Forman Classics in Context Festival. Numerous plays first produced at Actors Theatre have also been published as individual acting editions, and have been printed in many other anthologies, magazines and journals -- making an enduring contribution to American dramatic literature.