Mark Cartier (left), Kevin Cristaldi, Luke Sholl, Ian Gould and Jessica GiDiovanni in a scene from “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” at The Public Theatre. Courtesy of The Public Theatre
Halloween is coming to Lewiston for The Public Theatre’s season opener, “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” showing from Oct. 11-17. It will be the Maine premiere of the recent off-Broadway show.
The Public Theatre describes the show as “putting the legendary story of Dracula into a blender with Mel Brooks, Monty Python and The Carol Burnett Show.”
When Mina Westfeldt falls mysteriously ill, her father calls on well-known vampire hunter Dr. Jean Van Helsing to help them find the elusive and seductive Count Dracula. Five actors will sink their teeth into dozens of characters in this fast-paced, laugh-out-loud version of Dracula, perfect for audiences of all blood types.
The cast of fully professional Equity actors includes Luke Sholl as Dracula, Jessica DiGiovanni as Lucy/ Kitty/Driver, Mark Cartier as Dr. Westfeldt/Renfield/Sea Captain, Kevin Cristaldi as Mina/Van Helsing and Ian Gould as Jonathan/Bosun/Grave Digger/Suitors. All five actors have had an extensive career off-Broadway and in regional theaters as well as television and film.
The world of Transylvania and England will be brought to life by the set design of Michael Reidy, spooky lighting by Matt Cost, the soundscape of Charles Coes and costumes by Kevin Hutchins. At the helm will be Director and Artistic Director Janet Mitchko, who promises many similarities in style and tone to previous Public Theatre comic hits such as “Hound of the Baskervilles” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”
The Public Theatre will also be offering a pre-show wine tasting held in the lobby included with the price of a ticket on Oct 17, and a pre-show beer sampling at the evening performance on Oct. 19.
Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus a 7:30 p.m. performance Saturday, Oct. 19. Tickets are $35 for adults, $20 ages 19-35 and $15 (18 and under). Group rates (10-plus) are available. Tickets can be purchased online at thepublictheatre.org or by calling 782-3200. The theater is located at 31 Maple St. in Lewiston.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs. You can modify your screen name here.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.