2027-28 Proposal: Dracula, Comedy of Terrors

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors 

By Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen 

Directed by Jack Thomas

Show Synopsis

Ever wondered what would happen if you took Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale and put it into a blender with Mel Brooks, Monty Python, and The 39 Steps? That’s just what happens in this lightning-fast, laugh-out-loud, 90-minute, gender-bending romp. When her sister Mina falls ill with a mysterious disease of the blood, Lucy Westfeldt and her fiancé, Jonathan Harker, enlist the help of famed female vampire hunter Doctor Jean Van Helsing. Their hunt for the dangerous and sexy Count Dracula abounds with clever wordplay and quick-change antics. Five actors play over a dozen roles in this bloodcurdlingly hilarious send-up of the literary classic. Casting is flexible and expandable up to 24 actors. 

Vision Statement

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is a 90-minute long party starring your dream vamp’s dream vamp, Dracula – the pansexual 469-year-old hottie/high-maintenance rock star with more rizz than he can handle. This contemporary reimagining of Bram Stoker’s boring-ass novel is full of edge, pop culture references, drag performances, and gender-bending antics, all presented at a breakneck pace that will leave you in stitches! 

The team and I are comprised of Majestic volunteers who love working with and for actors in this community. Though this show is typically cast with 5 people playing up to 30 roles, we are looking to expand the cast to increase opportunities for our local actors. We are so lucky that the Corvallis community has such an abundance of gender diversity, and that drew us to the gender-flexible nature of this show. Part of the beauty of community theater is the ability to cast and get cast in roles that we wouldn’t typically be “seen” for. You get to see a whole new side of the character by actively involving and embracing diverse talents. We want to work with a wide breadth of people both onstage and backstage to cultivate a space that is respectful, educated, and fun for all. 

We are excited for the opportunity to present another raucous comedy to the Corvallis community, especially a comedy that involves and centers queerness as part of its main theme. Many members of our production team are openly and proudly queer, and the opportunity to explore gender and sexuality in a lighthearted way that doesn’t involve depictions of queer suffering is an exciting prospect for us. Even a “silly” comedy like this contains multitudes – it’s hilarious, charming, sweet, scary, and undeniably sexy. I firmly believe that when the world feels too dark and the monsters are too real, we deserve to laugh. We deserve to take the chance to turn our fears off while we vogue our way across the stage to cheesy 80s tunes and for audience members of all walks of life to leave the theater with their cheeks hurting from smiling… and maybe a few bite marks. (Note: we are not liable for any acts of vampirism committed during the run of the show. Take it up with your lawyer.)