Review: The Intimate DRACULA at Carmine Boutique Provides Powerful, Personal Thrills

"Blood is too precious a thing to be spilled," the titular character says in the production of DRACULA playing at Carmine Boutique in Orlando through October 15th. Directed by Jeremy Seghers, this ensemble piece by playwright Steven Dietz brings to life Bram Stoker's classic characters with intimate specificity that brings the story's inherent horror home in ways far more personal than in most films and adaptations of the same source material. While the production includes a requisite level of blood, the most haunting terrors that it supplies are born not of traditional Halloween fear, but of the strains on the relationships between the characters and those that they hold most dear.

The venue, Carmine Boutique, is an oddities and antiques shop on Orange Blossom Trail a few miles north of Downtown Orlando. Upon entering, you are treated to the most bizarre collection of items imaginable; animal skulls, antique medical equipment, taxidermy peacocks, and a full size, mummified skeleton of a woman with two heads. Though the store is bright and inviting, with the help of select characters milling about, it does a tremendous job setting the scene for what's to follow.

In the back of the boutique is an "Edwardian fetish club" (full disclosure: I am not quite sure what an Edwardian fetish club is); the performance space comes complete with a stage, a bar, 40-ish intimately arranged seats, a cage large enough for a person, multiple playing areas, and other surprises.

The intimate setting allows the superbly talented ensemble to invite the audience not just into the story, but into their lives. The fear that the central characters display envelops the room and, at its peak, is nearly suffocating.

Asylum patient Renfield, played by the fantastic Christian Kelty, opens the show by addressing the audience and sets the table for an evening that will be deeper, and slightly funnier, than Dracula tales normally are.

The story of the infamous Transylvanian count still has all of the gothic horror trimmings and the familiar characters and beats, but what makes this script and production transcend the cliché is the humanity of Dracula's victims.

After discussing their individual love lives, lifelong friends Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray start to experience odd occurrences in Lucy's home. The rich, lived-in relationship between actresses Shanel Sparr and Rachel Comeau is one of the production's most powerful tools. The pair is able to bounce back and forth between silly, sisterly banter and talk of the mysterious illness robbing Lucy of her life. This recognizable, authentic relationship immediately establishes an empathy between actor and audience that fuels much of the show's drama.

Sharing in these relatable relationships is Dr. Jonathan Seward played by Timmy Walczak. A devoted suitor to Lucy, he makes it his life's mission to diagnose and cure the object of his unrequited love. The honest, unpretentious commitment that Walczak's doctor shows Lucy explains his later dedication to stopping Dracula.

This trio is the heart of the production, providing it with affecting pathos throughout. Sparr is coquettishly charming and warm early, but her most exciting turn is when Lucy is no longer herself. Comeau's Mina displays a powerful, innate agency that the character normally doesn't have. She is able to imbue her with a strength that allows the character to be more than the standard damsel in distress, resolutely exercising control over her own life. As Seward, Walczak is stoic and thoughtful, but there is always an aching need below the surface, both for Lucy's love and to save her.

Only slightly less sympathetic, Kelty delivers a remarkably complex performance of a man who is both crazy and insightful. Seduced by the power of his master, this tortured soul fights with himself for control; pulled between his literal bloodlust and his fleeting humanity. As the actor most intimately available to the audience, stealing glances at Kelty's Renfield, especially when he is not at the center of the scene, is always rewarded with entertaining and idiosyncratic stage business.

As Mina's fiancé Jonathan Harker and Professor Van Helsing, Sean Kerrigan and Dennis Enos are more than suitable for their roles, but their performances feel far more surface-bound than those of their castmates.

Brenna Arden, Ashleigh Ann Gardner, and Benjamin Dupree make up a wonderful ensemble, perfecting the dry disdain that British servants are wont to show their masters, only when their backs are turned. Arden and Gardner also supply much of the production's creep-factor as Dracula's brides. Segher concocts a delightful, low-tech effect to amplify the Count's voice that is one of the show's most subtly satisfying surprises.

With all of that typed, that brings us to the Count himself. Frank Casado's imposing presence feels well earned as the eponymous vampire. His Dracula is both a gentleman and a menace, gliding around the room with a supernatural air. His interactions with Lucy, Renfield, and Mina are equally unsettling and understandable; as if his power over them was natural and logical. The role is a bit thankless, with Casado appearing on stage less than the majority of the other principals, but the actor makes the most of his mesmerizing time on stage.

Dietz's adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel is not the most famous version written for the stage, but its focus on the ensemble allows Segher's wonderful cast countless opportunities shine. However, the cinematic jumping of time and place makes staging slightly awkward, and once the dramatic action begins to move, there are a few too many starts and stop to keep the stakes as high as they could be.

To Seghers' credit, he is able to keep the momentum moving, avoiding many of the textual pitfalls. However, despite the intimate setting, the specifics of the climactic scene aren't as clear as you would like; major details feel unexplained simply because the choreography isn't clear.

Also, the mood of the production would be greatly enhanced if they were able to incorporate even the most basic level of theatrical lighting. However, the effects of Hurricane Matthew not only led to canceled performances, but also knocked out Carmine Boutique's lighting system. Hopefully, they will be able to remedy that for the second weekend, as it would greatly enhance the otherwise meticulously detailed production.

Regardless, Seghers and company have delivered an arresting production whose quality rivals that of any of the big name theatres in town, and just in time for Halloween. The show runs only through Saturday, so do not miss the chance to see this powerful production. To purchase tickets visit the production's website.

If you would like to read more about Seghers' process with the production, check out this interview that he did with BroadwayWorld Orlando's Kimberly Moy.

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Banner Image: Frank Casado and Rachel Comeau. Photo Credit: TheVonHoffman.com