Theatre: Dracula by LATW

I can't seem to escape Hamlet these days (not that I especially want to, but still). This being Dracula, there was a lot of Hamlet in it.

But anyway.

This was an interesting production. The characters dressed the part but performed at microphones while foley artists provided sound effects and a screen projected atmospheric background images. Sort of like watching a radio performance, really, though there were some acted bits to give a good sense of what was going on.

And it was all exceptionally well done.

In particular, Alexis Jacknow as Mina, Nicholas Hormann as Van Helsing, and Patrick Wenk-Wolff as the titular Count did stand-out work, but honestly, everyone was fabulous. It was a real treat to watch.

I brought my 9-year-old son, too, and yes, he got a bit freaked out at times. The wolves howling, and Summer Spiro's (Lucy) ear-piercing screams . . . But at the end of it all, he professed to liking it. "It was cool," he said, which is high praise from the likes of a jaded pre-teen. Still and all, if you have squeamish kids (mine likes scary stuff), this probably isn't the show for them. And mine is still just young enough to have the sexual overtones go over his head. But only just; it's a sultry story and this production doesn't gloss it.

The show is roughly two hours, no intermission. An evening well spent.