This Fringe, do something. . . haunting.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION- 

WallByrd Theatre Company is proud to present a new theatrical reading of Bram Stoker’s classic novel, DRACULA. This reader’s-theatre production invites audiences to bear witness to one of the greatest horror stories ever told, as we bring to life this dark classic against the rich midnight landscape of the historic Lyric Opera House. This immersive work will feature an all-star cast of professional actors from New York City, Syracuse, and Rochester that is not to be missed.

A note from the Playwright -

The first theatrical adaptation of Dracula was written by Bram Stoker. Stoker was a theatre manager by trade, and had apparently written the book, and subsequent play, with his friend and employer in mind, the legendary actor Sir Henry Irving. Only one performance of the play was ever done. A reading, several hours long. Irving hated it. No copy of the script exists.

Artistic endeavors live or die by the friends and family of the artist in question. The artistic impulse, fundamentally, is about wanting to share something that brings you joy, and to share your work with friends who don’t enjoy it can be crushing. My first try at adapting Dracula, over ten years ago, having never written a play before, was over four hours long, and self evidently terrible. But I was urged not to give up. I have never lacked in my life for people who believe in me, and the script you’re going to see performed tonight only exists because of them.

It’s interesting to think that the Dracula most people know, the one they picture, owes much more to subsequent adaptations of the character (of which there are dozens) than to the original novel. The cape, the tuxedo, the romantic subtext (and sometime just text), these are all artifacts of other people’s interpretations. I blush to think that if Stoker had had my friends and family, most people might picture Dracula the way Stoker did; a filthy leech exhausted with his repletion, creating an ever wider circle of demons to batten on the helpless. I have endeavored to honor Stoker’s text, and to bring about something he obviously wanted: a theatrical adaptation of Dracula, faithful to his novel. I hope you enjoy it. Enter freely, go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring.

-Alec Barbour (Playwright)

Inside the Production

IN DEVELOPMENT 

OUT ON THE TOWN