University of Southern Indiana Theatre will begin its 2023-24 season with Dracula, Kate Hamill’s adaptation of the classic novel by Bram Stoker, directed by Eric Altheide, Professor of Theatre. Performances will run Thursday, October 12 to Sunday, October 15 in the USI Performance Center.
Dracula is this year’s USI Theatre annual Repertory Project production, which operates under a contract with the Actors’ Equity Association, the professional union of actors and stage managers. The production will feature Jesse Luttrell, a professional actor, as Dracula and Margaret Kayes, a professional stage manager.
Kate Hamill’s inventive “feminist revenge fantasy†reimagines Dracula in a way that is both unsettling and uproarious, unlike any previous adaptation. It delves into the concept of predators, offering a clever, disconcerting and darkly comedic twist on the story. Hamill’s unique approach and contemporary humor completely transform the traditional narrative of Victorian vampires, effectively challenging toxic masculinity.
Altheide will be joined by a design team including Paul Weimer, Associate Professor and Chair of Theatre as Scenic Designer; Shan Jensen, Professor of Theatre as Costume Designer; Brandon Bagwell, Assistant Professor of Theatre as Lighting Designer; Joshua Stallings, Performing Arts Facilities Coordinator as Sound Designer; and Andy Hammond, Theatre Technical Coordinator, as Technical Director. Christia Ward, Adjunct instructor of Voice and Diction, will serve as the production’s Dialect Coach, and Amelia Morse, guest artist, will be the Intimacy Director. The cast of Dracula includes USI students Madalyn Cottrell, Jaden Crouch, Jade Griffy, Ethan Hoover, Rayn Miller, Morgan Ray, Via Ryan, Jacob Schonard, Morgan Stauter, Ashlyn Thornburgh, and Michael Woywood. Grey Miller and Mel Hanebutt will serve as the Assistant Stage Managers.
Tickets are $2 for USI students, $10 for USI employees, $4 for non-USI students (student ID required), $10 seniors (60+) and $12 for adults. Tickets are free to USI students with ID one hour before each performance begins based on availability. Shows start at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 12 to Saturday, October 14 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 15 for the matinee.
Dracula is rated T for Teen—content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. Productions rated teen may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling and/or infrequent use of strong language.
