Fear serves as an essential survival mechanism for the human species, triggering the fight, flight, or freeze response while controlling how people navigate their daily lives. That visceral concept anchors the U.S. debut of a new stage adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, running through Sunday, Nov. 1, at Hartford Stage.
Written by playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, the production diverges from traditional horror tropes by examining how fear operates as a tool of control. Malcolm stated that she found the underlying anxieties in Stoker’s original text strikingly relevant to modern concerns.
“The different things that he was writing about at the time I found similar to our fears now,” Malcolm said. “They’re talking about fear of illness and infection. They’re talking about fear of foreign entities coming over here and doing terrible things to our women. They’re talking about gender fear and sexuality fear.”
Reimagining the Narrative Focus
Traditional adaptations of the gothic classic typically center on either the title vampire or the vampire hunter Van Helsing. However, Jordan Kistler, a Bram Stoker scholar at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, noted that the Count actually speaks on only 33 pages of the original novel.
“He’s quiet, he’s elusive,” Kistler said. “So there’s this real silence from the people we now accept as the main characters, Van Helsing and Dracula.”
In Malcolm’s script, no actor in the six-person cast specifically plays Dracula. Instead, the character functions as a shadow, a presence, or a figment. The production features a cast that is almost entirely women, providing an opportunity to expand employment opportunities for female actors and explore stories historically sidelined.
Mina Takes Center Stage
Sara Gutierrez stars as Mina, serving as the main character, point-of-view character, and narrator who introduces the production’s opening lines on the mechanics of fear. Gutierrez noted that the role offers a refreshing departure from traditional portrayals of the character.
“It’s really refreshing and empowering to play Mina in this way,” Gutierrez said. “Usually Mina just is a victim to all of this, and now she doesn’t want to be a victim anymore.”
The production incorporates heavy blood and gore effects, adding a visceral element to the staging that Gutierrez embraced during rehearsals. Scout Backus co-stars as Lucy in the production.
“No spoilers, but I love being covered in blood,” Gutierrez said. “And my little emo middle school girl is screaming — you know, the little me who listened to My Chemical Romance. I’m like, ‘This is so cool. I love it!’”
Performance Schedule and Recommendations
Hartford Stage recommends the production for audiences ages 14 and up due to its intense themes and graphic elements. Performances run through Sunday, Nov. 1, at Hartford Stage.
