“Dracula”: An Awty Spectacular

The Awty International School’s Drama department take on Dracula featured a sense of darkness intertwined with humor and emotion, leaving the audience with laughs, chills, and an amazing experience. Each scene was so creatively crafted with addition of spot-on light and sound directions that made the auditorium feel like Dracula’s evil lair.

“I played the character of Suffering, one of the wives of Dracula. Acting as a bride was so much fun because of how unconventional the role was. I was not a typical “bride;” I was actually pretty scary and got to scream a lot during the play. The makeup for Suffering was also cool with the red eyeshadow contrasting our white dresses. Mr. Bauman allowed for a lot of creativity in my role, which made me feel really excited to portray her into the dark theme of the play,” 11th grader, Audrey Nguyen said. 

“I had read several different scripts of Dracula before deciding it would be the Upper School Play for the 2022-23 school year.  One of the versions I read had a distinctly female empowerment element to it, and because the theater department at Awty has a higher percentage of female actors, I thought it would be a good fit,” said Mr. Bauman.

When asked about the mixed elements of Awty’s rendition of the play, Mr. Bauman responded by saying, “Bram Stoker's Dracula is a classic example of the Gothic Horror genre, and the version presented at Awty had touches of horror, mixed with black comedy and absurdist elements.”

“I loved the opportunity to act in this play. This was actually my first time ever acting or being a part of the theater world and I felt so comfortable. Attending the rehearsals with my friends was such a fun experience and definitely motivates me to audition again for the spring play!” said Camille Olson, who acted as one of Dracula’s wives. 

With the long term rehearsal schedule of the play, beginning rehearsals back in August, the cast and crew grew very close to each other and kept their energy levels high for their four performances. Whether they were acting or working behind the scenes, they became a family. 

Not only did the cast of the play do an amazing job of showcasing Dracula, the lights and sounds crew played a significant role in the success of the play. Without their timing, coordination, and efficiency during each scene, the play would not have been the same.

Due to the success of Dracula, the Awty Drama Department is left motivated and excited to produce the spring play in April. Mr. Bauman and the drama team anticipate the auditions for Clue, a fan-favorite!

Until then, the Awty students, faculty, and parents will remain in awe over the wonderful fall play performance that left everyone thoroughly entertained.