The Atlanta Shakespeare Company to Present Havoc Movement's DRACULA: THE FAILINGS OF MEN

Atlanta Shakespeare Company will present Havoc Movement's Dracula the Failings of Men,  adapted by Benedetto Robinson, and directed by Jake Guinn. Tickets are $20 General Admission for the preview performance on Thursday, October 5, 2023 and $24 General Admission beginning Friday, October 6, 2023. The production runs October 7-31, 2023.

Prepare yourselves for this incredibly unique action-horror reimagining of Bram Stoker's work produced by ASC in collaboration with Havoc Movement.

Dracula: The Failings of Men will descend upon the halls of The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse this October. Come see the greatest vampire hunt of all time, led by Dr. Ada Van Helsing and Dr. Jack Seward. When a deserted ship crashes on the shore of London, strange things begin to happen. Men go mad and women sleepwalk straight into the arms of death in the flesh.

Written by Benedetto Robinson, this adaptation lets Bram Stoker's original prose shine. With fast-paced fights, aerial dance, and larger than life blood effects, Havoc Movement is thrilled to bring this twist on a classic to Atlanta at last.

There will be a post show Q&A on Sunday October 22, 2023.

The cast includes Benedetto Robinson (DRACULA), Mary Ruth Ralston (VAN HELSING), Bailey Frankenberg (LUCY), Vinnie Mascola (RENFIELD), Jon Meyer (ARTHUR) and Daryel T. Monson (JOHN).

In Dracula: The Failings of Men, after a ghost ship washes ashore in London, strange things begin happening to Dr. Jon Seward's patients in Carfax. Resident patient R. M. Renfield begins eating things that move and Lucy Westenra's sleepwalking spells become dangerous midnight jaunts that worry her new fiance, Lord Arthur Godalming. Overwhelmed by the strangeness of it all, Dr. Seward calls in his old mentor, Dr. Ada Van Helsing, who immediately begins to suspect the truth: a vampire has come to London and his thralls are chosen. Now it's up to her to convince Dr. Seward and Lord Godalming of the truth before bloodshed abounds. 

About the Director

Jake Guinn (he/him) is an Atlanta based Director, Playwright, and Movement Artist. He is the current Creative Development Director and Co-owner of Havoc Movement Company. Jake is a second generation Fight Director following in the footsteps of his father and mentor. His selected credits include Marvel Universe Live! Age of Heroes, TruTV's Fake/Off, Titanic, Hero's Wife at Synchronicity Theatre, the Woodruff Arts Center, Actor's Theatre Louisville, Florida Repertory Theatre, Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati Playhouse, Folding Chair Theatre, Southern Arkansas University, Louisiana Tech University, and The Seedling Project of Atlanta.

About the Adaptor

Benedetto Robinson is an Actor, Playwright, Action Performer and Fight Choreographer based here in Atlanta. This original adaptation of Bram Stoker's iconic turn-of-the-century novel Dracula marks his first foray into the world of playwriting, and after a successful two-season run at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina, he is delighted to see it reach his home city and the local audience here. 

As an actor, Benedetto floats between Georgia, New York City, and North Carolina, performing, fighting, and choreographing for stages from Atlanta to the Outer Banks. Some recent onstage credits include Colman Domingo's Dot, directed by Kenny Leon with Kenny Leon's True Colors here in town and later at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn; Legacy of Light and The Hobbit with Atlanta's Synchronicity Theatre and in co-production with Havoc; Romeo and Juliet at The Atlanta Shakespeare Company, and most recently the newly revised and re-conceptualized The Lost Colony at the Waterside Theatre in Manteo, NC. In many of these productions, Benedetto has served in joint capacity as actor, fight performer, and fight choreography professional- either as Associate Fight Director, as Fight Captain, or as a choreography consultant.  

Benedetto is actively seeking local representation. He can be reached directly by email at benedetto.michael.robinson@gmail.com. 

For more information, photos and reels, check Benedetto out at benedettorobinson.com and on Instagram @BennyandtheDett.

About Havoc Movement

Havoc Movement is a production company based out of Atlanta, GA. With decades of combined experience in stunt, circus, and stage combat performance, Havoc aims to create unique experiences with high-action design and contemporary circus to capture our collective superhuman dreams. Founded in June 2018, the company debuted their inaugural play, Just Another Play About Rainbows, which was the debut work of the brother-sister team The Guinn Twins (aka Darby and Jake Guinn) who remain as the creative and editorial team. Since then, Havoc has written and produced a movement concert (Curious Reverie), a short film series for the CDC (The Go Safely Project), and two shows with Cherokee Historical Association in North Carolina (Dracula: The Failings of Men and a original, Cherokee take on Alice in Wonderland). 

While a whole year of original work was sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic, Havoc came alive again in October 2021 with Dracula: The Failings of Men, an action-horror reimagining of Bram Stoker's work, written by Benedetto Robinson and edited by The Guinn Twins. With this adaptation, Havoc brought their signature high-level fight choreography and aerial work to the stage with plenty of blood and a female Van Helsing. They are over the moon to be playing their bloody game on home turf this October by bringing Dracula to Atlanta in collaboration with ASC.

With its company of colorful characters, Havoc Movement not only produces original works but grows their community with workshops and stage combat classes using the standards outlined by the Society of American Fight Directors. On stage and off, Havoc is committed to fostering original, high-action work with heart. For more information about Havoc Movement and their previous work, visit havocmovement.com.