'Dracula' chills the blood in University Players production

From the cold, dark forests of Transylvania in Romania's Carpathian mountains to the misty cobbled streets of 18th century London, the immortal vampire Dracula was revisited on stage Friday by the Cal State Long Beach University Players.

The performance was a riveting and smashing rendition of Bram Stoker's Gothic horror classic and will play through Dec. 7 at the University Theater.

Directed by Ashley Carr, the head of acting and associate artistic director for the CalRep Theater, the play strays away from the original story to bring a highly entertaining and refreshing version.

In the stage play, a mysterious illness has plagued Dr. Seward's manor. Seward is played effectively by CSULB first-semester student William Arnold.

A victim of the sickness is Seward's beautiful daughter, Lucy, portrayed by German actress Monika Lesemann.

Both Seward and Jonathan Harker, Lucy's fiance are concerned with the strange illness that the good doctor called for the assistance of Professor Van Helsing, a brilliant Dutch doctor whose knowledge of medicine transcends into the esoteric world of black magic and the occult.

Van Helsing is played by veteran actor Matthew Sturiale who started his acting career at CSULB as Ellis in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

Hugh Speed portrays Jonathan Harker, who was James Link in CSULB's production of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross."

Through Renfield, Seward's raving mad patient who always escapes the clutches of his guardian, Belton, Van Helsing's suspicion that evil lurks in the eerie manor.

California native Eric Foster plays the role of Renfield, who devours flies and spiders and awaits the coming of his master, Dracula.

The mystery is solved when Van Helsing discovers strange marks on Lucy's neck coupled with the sudden emergence of Count Dracula, who turns viciously violent and hungry at the sight of a mirror that casts no reflection and is dripping crimson blood.

Together the three men battle the pernicious vampire and ultimately end his vile deeds by driving a stake through his heart.

Despite the morbid ambiance of the story, a few moments of comic relief is provided by Seward's valet, Belton and Miss Wells, his parlor maid.

The audience roared with laughter and applauded every time Belton complained to Miss Wells about Renfield's escape acts.

Belton is played by Theodore Martinez, a native of Belize whose acting cr edits include "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail."

Theater arts major Jessica McNeil plays Miss Wells who is deceived by Dracula into betraying her mistress.

The Lord of the Undead is played by second-semester student Lee Sheridan who played Tom Joad in last semester's "The Grapes of Wrath."

Wearing Dracula's trademark black cape and deadly fangs, Sheridan dominates the scenes as he provides a fresh, sensual and surprisingly comic portrayal of the perpetual bloodsucker.

The play's set of pillars, with sitting gargoyles, hanging medieval tapestries and shadowy background truly delivers the audience back into the portals of time where evil looms and the forces of good wage war to preserve the soul and save mankind.