Strap on your pumpkin masks and grab your candy bags because Halloween is coming. To prepare for this monumental autumnal celebration the Rozsa is offering a performance by the PUSH theatre called Dracula.
Everyone knows about Dracula, the vampire, the fangs, the bloodlust and the literal lust. Count Dracula was first introduced in 1897 in the novel Dracula by Irish writer Bram Stoker who drew his inspiration from real people and cultures that he encountered while in Romania. The dark cloak and the blood red accents were drawn from a ceremonial uniform worn by people who were members of the Order of the Dragon. The name Dracula came from the father of a man associated with the Order named Vlad Tepes. His father received the title “Dracul” from his work under the Order of the Dragon, and “Dracula” means “son of Dracul”. Vlad Tepes, often called Vlad the Impaler, was a man of power who sought revenge and earned a controversial reputation from his violent first six years as ruler of Walachia (Romania). The novel Dracula is the only link between this historical figure and the stuff of myths. That means that Vlad the Impaler did not actually drink blood.
Bram Stoker did a lot of research about vampires and Romanian culture and included a lot of real-life places in his novel that can still be visited today. More or less, Dracula became the first vampire literature, a gateway to various other genres and fantasies of vampires in later years and centuries. Part of the reason that Stoker’s novel took off in popularity is that there was an actual genuine outbreak of vampirism that spread from Romania to areas of Greece, Germany, Ireland and so on. This is interesting because the novel is about a vampire who leaves Transylvania to spread the curse of the undead to London and other people. It makes it seem like he was pretty successful in real life.
Regardless of the origins of vampires, the story of Dracula and lusty bloodsuckers has touched the hearts of millions. There have been film, book and theatrical adaptations made of this story, and one of those is coming straight here to Houghton. PUSH theatre will be performing an intense, dance-filled and occasionally shirtless, variant of this time-old tale. The teaser trailer promises mystery, madness and intrigue, and can be watched here: https://youtu.be/B4oQHue22c4.
It’s hard to describe exactly the level of heart-pounding sensuality that this group is sure to convey, but the trailer is very compelling. The performance will be on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. The show costs $22 for adults and $10 for youth, but it’s free with the Experience Tech pass. It looks like it’ll be a rendition worth watching, and it’s a good excuse to get a little spooky in honor of Halloween. Don your cape and fangs, and we’ll see you at the show.
