|
|
|
The River City Community Players are hoping to raise the stakes for its annual Halloween production this year.
For the first time ever, the Leavenworth-based theater group will have one performance that begins at 11:59 p.m. — just before midnight — in honor of Halloween weekend.
The play this time around is appropriately spooky, given the occasion — the 1996 Steven Dietz adaptation of Bram Stoker’s immortal gothic horror novel “Dracula.” At the helm of the RCCP’s version will be Nino Casisi, who said Dietz’s version sticks fairly closely to Stoker’s source material.
While this will be Casisi’s first time directing in Leavenworth, he said he is no stranger to theater. This will be his 33rd time directing in the Kansas City area and his experience stretches back even farther, having done everything from acting to running sound and lights to selling tickets.
Casisi said he knew he wanted to direct something at the Hollywood Theater since he first saw a production here. It took some time before he was able to find time in his schedule. He jumped at the chance to direct “Dracula” — not because he’s a horror fan but because he started thinking about the direction that he could take the production.
“I try to do shows that are challenging,” he said. “Not necessarily themed, but shows that will make me think what can I do differently that nobody else has done before.”
According to Casisi, “Dracula” is complicated as a production — the stage is divided into three different sets with lighting cues highlighting each of those different parts at different times. There are also a bevy of other types of special effects, he said.
“I’ve got fog, blood, doors that fly open,” Casisi said. “Stuff comes out of nowhere.”
Casisi said he has brought along with him two technicians with whom he has worked with for years — Mike Morrow and Bill Wright. Morrow and Wright, along with RCCP regular David Powell, have worked to make that vision come to life, Casisi said.
“I’ve seen a couple of productions of this, and they stick to the script do it as it is written,” he said. “We take it to the next level.”
Brandon Stevens, who portrays Dr. John Seward, said even the cast didn’t know the full scale of the effects and atmosphere until the first technical rehearsal this week, and the results — especially those in Act II — were surprising.
The River City Community Players are hoping to raise the stakes for its annual Halloween production this year.
For the first time ever, the Leavenworth-based theater group will have one performance that begins at 11:59 p.m. — just before midnight — in honor of Halloween weekend.
The play this time around is appropriately spooky, given the occasion — the 1996 Steven Dietz adaptation of Bram Stoker’s immortal gothic horror novel “Dracula.” At the helm of the RCCP’s version will be Nino Casisi, who said Dietz’s version sticks fairly closely to Stoker’s source material.
While this will be Casisi’s first time directing in Leavenworth, he said he is no stranger to theater. This will be his 33rd time directing in the Kansas City area and his experience stretches back even farther, having done everything from acting to running sound and lights to selling tickets.
Casisi said he knew he wanted to direct something at the Hollywood Theater since he first saw a production here. It took some time before he was able to find time in his schedule. He jumped at the chance to direct “Dracula” — not because he’s a horror fan but because he started thinking about the direction that he could take the production.
“I try to do shows that are challenging,” he said. “Not necessarily themed, but shows that will make me think what can I do differently that nobody else has done before.”
According to Casisi, “Dracula” is complicated as a production — the stage is divided into three different sets with lighting cues highlighting each of those different parts at different times. There are also a bevy of other types of special effects, he said.
“I’ve got fog, blood, doors that fly open,” Casisi said. “Stuff comes out of nowhere.”
Casisi said he has brought along with him two technicians with whom he has worked with for years — Mike Morrow and Bill Wright. Morrow and Wright, along with RCCP regular David Powell, have worked to make that vision come to life, Casisi said.
“I’ve seen a couple of productions of this, and they stick to the script do it as it is written,” he said. “We take it to the next level.”
Brandon Stevens, who portrays Dr. John Seward, said even the cast didn’t know the full scale of the effects and atmosphere until the first technical rehearsal this week, and the results — especially those in Act II — were surprising.
“I’ve never seen anything like this at this theater,” he said.
But Casisi said he has also been impressed with the efforts of the cast to bring the production together.
Sam Sentman, a veteran of the RCCP who will play the Carpathian Count Dracula, said he remembers reading Stoker’s original novel when he was 12. He said he was excited to have the opportunity to play the count, who he sees as a complex character.
“He’s just kind of mad and kind of lonely,” Sentman said.
Several cast members said they didn’t want to give away too much about the production, but Sentman said the audience should come into the show expecting plenty of ”twist and turns.”
And during Saturday’s midnight performance, Casisi said the audience should expect an even bigger and better show.
“It’s going to be the same show, but it’s going to be at midnight, and I think the expectations are going to be a little higher from the audience,” he said.
Because of some of the content, “Dracula” carries a “PG-13” rating.
