Just in time for spooky season, the Straz Center in Tampa, FL is hosting “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” in the intimate Jaeb Theater. This comedic interpretation of Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire novel delivers all the iconic scenes you’d expect, but with a irreverent twist and clever character reversals. Jonathan Harker (James Romney) is engaged to Lucy Westfeldt (Susana Cordon) who has a very single sister, Mina Westfeldt (Paul Vogt). The bloodthirsty Dracula (Keaton Miller) becomes utterly captivated by Lucy instead of Mina—a woman whose desires make her completely susceptible to the vampire’s nocturnal charms.
Dracula’s got this over-the-top, runway-model vibe, strutting around like he owns the place. But here’s the kicker: the guy’s obsessed with himself, yet he can’t even catch a glimpse of his own reflection—talk about a vampire’s worst nightmare! When Mina starts looking pale and sickly, Dr. Van Helsing (Paul Vogt) shows up and spots some weird bite marks on her neck. All hell breaks loose as the crew tries to take down the undead lord, but our fang-tastic lead might just have a few surprises up his sleeve.
Rather than relying on expensive theatrical wizardry, this production embraces DIY ingenuity as comedic gold. Aerosol cans substitute for atmospheric fog, lightning-fast wardrobe transformations, telescoping fake limbs, and similar creative solutions generate constant chuckles. In smaller productions like these, stage presence becomes paramount. Dracula delivers abundantly—strutting across the stage like a romance novel cover model obsessed with grooming products and, naturally, blood consumption.
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Beyond the title character of Dracula, the talented ensemble impressively juggles multiple roles throughout the evening, occasionally portraying different characters nearly simultaneously for maximum comedic impact. Watching Kelly Bashar sprint backstage for seemingly impossible costume transitions—sometimes completing character changes in under sixty seconds—provided pure entertainment gold.
Dracula and Mina totally steal the show with their wild, over-the-top comedy, but Lucy and Harker are the real MVPs, playing the perfect straight-man duo to their co-stars’ craziness. Clocking in at a tight 90 minutes, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors nails it as a hilarious spoof that’ll have you cracking up and loving every second of the cozy, fun theater vibe. Catch the show Tuesday through Sunday until October 26th!
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Photo & Video Courtesy of the Straz Center