‘Dracula’ season opener at Penobscot

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BANGOR – Penobscot Theatre will open its 30th anniversary season with a brand new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s vampire classic, “Dracula.” The new adaptation by Penobscot Theatre’s producing artistic director Mark Torres will feature an ensemble of eight actors to tell Stoker’s spine-tingling thriller.

Dracula will run Sept. 22 through Oct. 3 at the Bangor Opera House, 131 Main St., in downtown Bangor. Half-price performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, and Thursday, Sept. 23.

Opening night is 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24. A Pay-What-You-Wish performance will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Though first published in 1897, the novel “Dracula” has never been out of print. It has been reissued in more than 300 editions and has inspired prequels, sequels and numerous adaptations for stage, film and television.

In English literature, the first to take on the tale of the mysterious creatures of the night were poets, notably Robert Southey and Lord Byron.

However, the most important contribution came from an unlikely source, Lord Byron’s personal physician, John Polidori. He was to write the first piece of vampire fiction in the English language.

Polidori’s story can be traced to a famous literary gathering on the shores of Lake Geneva in the summer of 1816. Lord Byron was residing at the Villa Diodati where they were visited by Percy Shelley, Mary Godwin (who would soon become Mary Shelley) and Mary’s stepsister.

One evening, after a collective reading of ghost stories, Byron suggested that each member of the party write a story of their own. Two tales that changed the face of Gothic fiction were inspired by this challenge. Mary Shelley began “Frankenstein,” while Byron wrote a short piece he did not finish. Polidori picked up the piece, reworked it and issued it in 1819 as “The Vampyre.”

Historically, there was a real Dracula. He was a 15th century Romanian prince known as Vlad the Impaler. He also used the nickname “Dracula,” a reference to the fact that he was the son of Vlad Dracul who had been initiated into the Order of the Dragon, “dracul” being Romanian for “dragon.”

The creative team forPenobscot Theatre’s production of Dracula includes costume designer Susan R. Smith, lighting designer Lynne Chase and set designer Nicole Coppinger. Samuel Kuykendall will design sound and Adam Kuykendall, who also will act in the production, will design projections.

The production will be directed by Mark Torres.

Torres has been at the helm of Penobscot Theatre for 12 seasons. A member of the Maine Arts Commission, Torres is chairman of the Major Institutions Committee, serves on the Cultural Tourism Task Force and is an arts commission representative to the Cultural Affairs Council.

He received a bachelor’s degree in theater-drama from Indiana University and a master’s degree in fine arts from Temple University’s Professional Actor Training Program.

As an actor, Torres has appeared on and off Broadway and in regional theaters such as Trinity Square Repertory Company, Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Center Stage in Baltimore, New Arts Theatre in Dallas, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. As a guest director or teacher, he has worked at Southern Methodist University, Texas Women’s University, Northern Kentucky University and the University of Delaware.

Torres previously served as a member of the Bangor Center Corp. and received the Bangor Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Eagle Award for 1997. He also served on the board of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America in 1999.

Alex Cherington (Dracula) most recently appeared at Penobscot Theatre as George in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Also at Penobscot Theatre, he played Capt. Keller in “The Miracle Worker.” In the past six years, he has been in 26 contemporary and classical theater productions in five states.

Daniel Noel (Van Helsing), an affiliate artist and artistic committee member at Portland Stage Company, has appeared there as an actor in “Arcadia,” “Terminal Exit” and “A Christmas Carol” (as Marley for three years); and in numerous staged readings, including Longfellow’s Shorts, a new author series he created with PSC and Longfellow Books. He also has appeared on and off Broadway.

Kae Cooney (Mina) has appeared several times at Penobscot Theatre during the past four seasons. Her roles include Honey in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker,” The Mute in “The Fantasticks,” Ruth in “Blithe Spirit,” Ariel in “The Tempest,” Rachel Lynde in “Anne of Green Gables,” Cecily in “The Odd Couple” and Elmire in “Tartuffe.”

Cooney also has led the Penobscot Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Schools educational outreach program and has appeared in several productions with The Hampstead Players, The National Theatre of Performing Arts, and Beechwood Theatre Company. She lives in New York City.

Adam Kuykendall (Renfield) recently directed, acted and helped build last season’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” as well as playing roles in “ART” and “The Miracle Worker.” Kuykendall also has worked with Ten Bucks Theatre Company, having directed Sam Shepard’s play “True West,” and designing the multimedia component for their production of “Terra Nova.” He works as a production assistant on film and television projects in and around New York City where he lives.

Jenny Bragdon (Lucy) is a massage therapist in Bangor where she lives with her husband, George. Recently, she was part of the crew for “Speed-the-Plow” with Half Moon Productions at the Bangor Opera House and performed as Bianca in “Taming of the Shrew” with Ten Bucks Theatre.

Christopher Franklin (Arthur) is an undergraduate at the University of Maine, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in theater, and recently performed in Ten Bucks Theatre’s “Taming of the Shrew” and “Terra Nova.”

Chuck Novatka (Jonathan Harker), a native New Yorker, just completed a summer season of Shakespeare and other classics at The Theater at Monmouth.

Andrew Towler (Dr. Seward) most recently appeared on stage at The Theater at Monmouth for its summer season. He also has worked at The Cleveland Playhouse and the Boarshead Theatre in Michigan.

Susan R. Smith, costume designer, most recently costumed Penobscot Theatre’s productions, “The Fantasticks,” “The Miracle Worker,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Susan lives in Houston, Texas.

Lynne Chase, lighting designer, lives in Connecticut and is the resident lighting designer at Penobscot Theatre where, most recently, she designed the lights for the entire 2003-04 season. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Chase has attended Cornell and Harvard and also has been the resident lighting designer at Horse Cave Theatre in Horse Cave, Kentucky.

Nicole Coppinger, set designer, has designed “Richard III,” “The Tempest,” “The Cmpleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged),” “Anne of Green Gables,” “Blithe Spirit,” “Tartuffe,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “ART” at Penobscot Theatre.

Dates, times and tickets for all of Penobscot Theatre’s 2004/2005 productions may be obtained by calling 942-3333 or visiting the box office 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Bangor Opera House, 131 Main St. The box office also is open Saturdays and two hours before scheduled performances.

Information also is available at www.PenobscotTheatre.org.

Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, students, educators, seniors, people with disabilities and military personnel.

“Dracula” is produced in part with support from producing partner WBRC Architects; production sponsors Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. and J Group Advertising; producing sponsors Paine, Lynch & Harris, and Vance B. Gray Jr. and Associates. Season media sponsors are WLBZ 2, Bangor Daily News, 92.9 WEZQ and 107.3.

The remainder of Penobscot Theatre’s season includes “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, “The Smell of the Kill” by Michele Lowe, “A Long Day’s Journey into Night” by Eugene O’Neill, and “Noises Off!” by Michael Frayn.