By Christopher Joseph
Writer Kate Hamill’s twist is flipping the script, so to speak. Her reimagining of the famous Bram Stoker’s Dracula into Dracula – A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really pushes the envelope in a stylish, wild tribute, respectful to the original while staking its unique perspective.
A New Angle
This production, directed by Emily N. Wells, explores the nature of predators and reimagines the story as a brilliant, unsettling, darkly comedic drama. Hamill’s signature style and postmodern wit overturn this familiar tale of Victorian vampires, subverting the original text by making Mina and Lucy the main drivers of the action, and giving traditionally male characters like Van Helsing and Renfield new, female roles, piercing straight through the heart of toxic masculinity.
As an oblivious Jonathan Harker (Andrew Ian Adams), travels to Transylvania to secure his first major deal with the mysterious Count Dracula (Gregory Mallios), his devoted pregnant wife Mina Harker, (Angelique Archer), is on vacation with her best friend Lucy Westerna (Jordan Trovillion), in the seaside town of Whitby, England, ranting about marriage, pregnancy, and entanglements. Unaware of the impending doom.
More Performances and Story
As Dracula exploits Harker’s greed and transforms him into a follower of his plans, he devises a scheme involving the letters from his new conquest to his wife, which leads him directly to the unsuspecting Mina and Lucy. While Lucy is the primary target in this version, as Mina discovers his devious plot to stalk her friend, Dracula continues to dismiss her involvement by claiming, “She is not his type.” A true tribute to toxic masculinity.
Caught up in Lucy’s entanglements is the Asylum Doctor George Seward (Rico Romalus Parker), whom she may or may not love, but is interested in his wealth and status. Mina stumbles upon her deranged husband, Jonathan, at a market, who has escaped Dracula’s lair but has gone mad. Enter Dracula’s influence, Renfield’s taunts, and the presence of the rambunctious vampire hunter, Dr. Van Helsing, played by Darlene Spencer, and all hell breaks loose.
Dr. Seward faces his own dilemmas: balancing his love for Lucy with treating her mysterious illness while avoiding the overbearing presence of the disagreeable, alternative-care doctor, Van Helsing, with whom he disagrees in practice, revealing his sexism. Even the supporting cast of Skye Hodgkin and Evelyn Vordtriede, who play Dracula’s wives, Marilla and Drusilla, and the dual roles of the maid, the merchant, and the asylum worker Miller, contribute to shaping the roles women take in society.
The grand ending, in which Seward earns the respect of Mina and Van Helsing, is gracious.
A Moment for Renfield
The ominous, ever-present asylum patient Renfield, played by Caitlin Larsen Deer, is intensely poetic in her constant warnings of doom amid her unwavering devotion to a master who has nearly abandoned her. It is here, with her near-religious obsession for a cause greater than herself—an obsession she can’t fully understand—that even she struggles to find meaning in life without complete devotion to something she doesn’t fully grasp. This internal conflict, especially when faced with choices from an optimistic Mina, highlights the core brilliance of Hamill’s reimagining of the story, even if it reflects modern times.
Design
Charlie Calvert’s scenic design is hauntingly beautiful and superbly executed, featuring a large window or door as a central piece that acts as a gateway to various portals of Dracula’s world. Jessica Ann Drayton’s lighting enhances the eerie scenes with bold shades of blood red and soft cream colors. The team at Audio Forest does a fantastic job with sound design, greatly amplifying Dracula and Renfield’s commanding presence. Ayn Swann’s costumes are authentic to the era, seductive, and well-crafted. At times, as he gains influence, Dracula resembles a spooky Elvis impersonator.
Overall
For an interesting variation on the classic Dracula, check out Dracula, A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really at Dayton’s Human Race Theatre Company. The show runs through November 9, 2025. You can get your tickets HERE.
