Staples Players Radio Theatre Presents DRACULA

As we mark the one-year anniversary of the start of Covid lockdown and pandemic horrors, no radio show is more fitting than Dracula. "It is the horror story to beat all horror stories," says David Roth, who co-directs with Kerry Long. Audiences can join Staples Players in Transylvania this Sunday, March 14, at 6 pm EDT, via livestream at www.wwptfm.org. There is no charge to tune in to all the bloodsucking fun. For listeners who missed the spectacular performances in two previous Players' radio shows-the classic Little Women and the thriller Sorry, Wrong Number-both will be rebroadcast on Sunday, March 21, at 6 pm and 7:10 respectively.

"One of the pluses of the pandemic is that it has allowed us to do eight radio shows this school year, which enabled our performers to play so many more different characters from stories of different genres than they ever would have in a normal year," explains Roth. "Even things like dialect skills have been broadened; the students have learned British dialect, Cockney dialect, Irish, German, New York, and even Transylvanian (actually Bulgarian)! Having covered so many genres, it made perfect sense to include a horror story this year. We hope audiences will be terrified and engrossed."

Jamie Mann (SHS '21), who plays Count Dracula, says, "Playing a murderous vampire is way more fun than I expected. I don't think I would play a role like this in person because I most definitely don't fit the Dracula archetype. I have had a great time working with Mr. Roth and Kerry to create this infamous character." Mann has relished sinking his teeth into his character's thick accent. "The Dracula accent itself is iconic, so I took a lot of inspiration from past Draculas in order to match the overall idea of the accent," he says. "After that I started to listen to the Bulgarian accent and analyzed signature sounds and inflections to make my character more believable and grounded. Dracula is a classic and it's beautifully written. I really enjoy the adventure that the characters go on. It's creepy and exciting and I think audiences will have a great time listening in."

David Corro (SHS '21) says, "I play Jonathan Harker, a lawyer's clerk who ends up in Dracula's clutches after being sent to Transylvania to sell him a house and later joins the Dracula-hunting team. This is a really unique role because Harker faces many different situations, from weird coach rides to being held captive by vampiresses to riding on a steamboat through Eastern Europe. I get to portray a wide spectrum of emotions, which is super cool to do."

Violet Cooper (SHS '21), who plays Lucy Westenra, comments: "Playing Lucy is both challenging and fun because she bridges the space between a human and vampire transformation. This has been very interesting to experiment with, especially as I get to play with some more creative scenes and moments, particularly as she transitions from a human to supernatural character." Who doesn't want to hear how a young actress pulls off all that with her voice? Based on the past six Staples Players' radio shows, rest assured she and her cast mates will wow us with their hair-raising, spine-tingling brilliance. "I think audiences will love this show because it is staged and performed as a true gothic horror story," says Cooper. "It will be an immersive and thrilling experience."

Staples Players Presents:

Dracula
By Bram Stoker

Production Team

Directors.......................................... David Roth, Kerry Long
Music Director....................................Don Rickenback
Audio Director................................... Geno Heiter
Technical Director................................Jeff Hauser
Assistant Technical Director..................Alicia D'Anna
Graphic Designer.................................Kerry Long

Performance Schedule

Dracula: Sunday, March 14, at 6 pm EDT

Little Women: Sunday, March 21, at 6 pm EDT

Sorry, Wrong Number: Sunday, March 21, at 7:10 pm EDT

Tune in for FREE via livestream at www.wwptfm.org