![Bram Stoker's "Dracula" Kicks Off Season At Rowan University](https://www.newjerseystage.com/events2016/Rowan-Dracula.jpg "Bram Stoker's "Dracula" Kicks Off Season At Rowan University")
(GLASSBORO, NJ) -- Bram Stoker’s Dracula comes to life on stage as the kick-off to a season of horror, suspense and tragedy being presented by the Department of Theatre & Dance at Rowan University. Performances are from October 22 - 30 in Tohill Theatre on the university’s Glassboro campus.
The play explores the world of the strange and imposing Count Dracula as he becomes the target of suspicion when a series of deaths, illnesses, and disappearances occur in a neighboring house. The exceedingly resourceful Count confounds his antagonists at every turn, until a dramatic confrontation brings the legendary tale to a gripping finale in playwright William McNulty’s adaptation. While originally conceived nearly 120 years ago, Dracula possesses universal themes about people and communities that resonate to this day, beyond just the horror.
“This story is about the challenge of facing things that happen that we don’t understand,” co-director and faculty member Elisabeth Hostetter says. “It's a parable of fear and how we handle that fear.”
Led by Hostetter and co-director Tom Fusco, this action-packed version of the classic incorporates a unique mix of theatrical storytelling and technical achievement to present both the human story and the more fantastical visual world required. Communicating the dramatic, often romantic, and mystical plot is matched by the need to depict the horror and “magic” of a vampire story. Under the directors' guidance, Rowan’s production will capture the audience's attention in a variety of ways thanks to the work of collaborators with expertise in the areas of fight choreography, blood effects, visual projections and much more.
The student cast features a range of actors from New Jersey and beyond: Caitlin Ablaza of Marlton as a Vampire Bride, Kelly Appelmann of Boonton as a Vampire Bride, Zulfiya Asquino of Wantagh, NY as Mina Grant, Charlie Barney of Mount Holly as Robert Renfield, Matthew Basen of Freehold as Jonathan Harker, Elizabeth Darrell of Lititz, PA as a Vampire Bride, James Forrest of Lusby, MD as Norbert Briggs, Ileana Fortuño of Huntingtown, MD as Sullivan, Juliet Gallagher of Middletown as a Vampire Bride, Courtney Jarmush of Eldersberg MD as Lucy Westphal, Sean McGovern of Pine Hill as Dr. Thomas Seward, Robert Mora of Long Beach, CA as Dracula, Russell Palmieri of Columbus as Van Helsing, Kelsey Romeo of Franklinville as The Monster, and Kylie Westerbeck of Fredericksburg, VA as The Child.
Performances are October 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 & 29 and 8:00 p.m. and October 23 & 30 at 2:00 p.m. Tohill Theatre is located in Bunce Hall on the campus of Rowan University, Route 322 in Glassboro, NJ. Purchase tickets online at rowan.tix.com. For more information, call the box office at (856) 256-4545, or email arts@rowan.edu. Tickets are $15 (general) and $10 (seniors/non-Rowan students/alumni/staff/military). Rowan students are admitted free with valid ID, based on availability.
