This fall, Colorado State University Theatre’s play was the classic tale of “Dracula,” written by Bram Stoker, but told with a feminist twist.
Written by Kate Hamill and directed by Saffron Henke, CSU associate professor of theatre, “Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” brought a whole new message to the original Gothic horror story, emphasizing women’s tenacity and empowerment in a powerful yet comedic representation of women existing as more than plot devices.
According to Henke, Hamill recognized the diversions from the original plotline, emphasizing that her version of the story was “inspired by Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ more than being a faithful adaptation of it.”
One of the key differences in this feminist retelling is that Mina Harker, played by Eliza Domingos, is pregnant throughout the play.
“It’s very much this idea that she’s very fragile, and there’s multiple times in the show where they say she can’t do this because of her condition,” Domingos said. “But it shows that even when a woman is pregnant, (she) can still do everything a man can, plus carrying a baby, which is even more badass.”
Another key difference was that Dr. Van Helsing, whose character was a man in the original telling of “Dracula,” is instead a woman. Van Helsing, portrayed by Avery Egan, is depicted as a strong intelligent woman who won’t let a man dictate her actions.
“It’s just important to have that kind of, like, oh, she’s a woman and she’s telling this man what to do, and he’s actually listening, or she will fight back if he doesn’t listen,” Egan said. “And here’s (Van Helsing as) a demanding, very unignorable sort of force that is doing all the things.”
This version also portrayed a message about toxic masculinity. Men are portrayed as controlling beings, and at the heart of that is Dracula: the physical embodiment of what is wrong with society and the power men frequently attempt to hold.
“To me, the most meaningful part was the hidden message (of) the men being the monsters,” said Ev Poulsen, an audience member.
Audience members also remarked on the importance of Hamill’s use of symbolism in the show, including the death of the character Renfield, played by Darby Jablecki, another character who was initially a man but portrayed as a woman in Hamill’s version of the play.
“I thought that the suicide (of Renfield) was really resonant,” audience member Aubree Ellis said. “Like a symbolic representation of an inner child and death and femininity and complacency.”
Those involved in the making of the play said there were many impressive technical elements that made the show come to life and helped create the world of “Dracula.”
“I’m a big horror person, and I think that the blood is absolutely insane in this show,” Domingos said. “And I think not only is it cool for the audience and cool for us as actors to work with, but it really (gave) the designers a chance to show their work.”
The cast and crew highlighted the immense effort they all took to bring this feminist revenge story to life.
“This cast has been really awesome,” Henke said. “They’ve been very hardworking. This cast has been one of my favorite casts that I’ve ever gotten to work with professionally or at CSU.”
Reach Claire Nestor at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
