BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
REVIEWS
CENTENARY STAGE COMPANY
October 12-28, 2018
"Writer/director Morey clearly deserves his own standing ovation. he has worked all the intricate pieces of this production as a chess master... this clever staging and impressive cast will provide a properly chilling experience."
Rick Busciglio
NJfootlights.net / NJ Arts Maven
"...an exceptional production... the performance is enthralling... action packed... bringing all of the suspense, terror and excitement to the stage... will keep audience members on the edge of their seats."
Marina Kennedy
Broadway World
DENVER CENTER THEATRE COMPANY
October 1-31, 2010
...from the very beginning audiences are pulled into this dark and treacherous world ... Bram Stoker's Dracula is thrilling, chilling and a fantastic production to see during this Halloween season ... this is the father of all vampires, the original vampire story.
Noah Jordan
303 Magazine
A surprisingly original take on the iconic horror story... Drawing from the epistolary style of Stoker’s 1897 novel the DCTC production carves out an authentic niche… creates a strong sense of time, place and authenticity… Driven by a strong ensemble, an innovative dramatic structure, and some genuinely spooky special effects, Charles Morey’s dramatic adaptation feels like a paen to Stoker’s original vision.
Aurora Sentinel
(Five Stars) Denver Center’s”Dracula”… delightfully chilling… the structure of the piece is strong and ultimately their production of this classic is, well, classy … a chilling night appropriate for the coming Halloween.¦
He Said / She Said
Mile High Critics
... By the end of Act one I realized I had been sitting with my breath held for at least a half an hour ...
Greg Rice
BroadwayWorld
Charles Morey's thrilling adaptation of Bram Stoker's gothic tale is loyal to the original novel in both plot and style ... lushly styled and amply frightening.
Denver Performing Arts Examiner
...well performed ... a snarling intensity.
John Moore
Denver Post
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY
October 22 - November 6, 2010
“Dracula” enfolds audiences with primal voices… so atmospheric and all-enveloping that it blurs the boundaries between its reality and our own. Morey has also hooked into the primal elements that make stories of vampires perennially popular: the clash between good and evil… the desire for immortality and power over others, and particularly the struggle in each individual between spirituality and sensuality. The story of “Dracula” is so archetypal that it will probably never stop speaking to audiences, Pioneer Theatre Company’s production dramatically demonstrates why.
Barbara Bannon
The Salt Lake Tribune
Modern interpretations of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” often focus on its psycho-sexual sub-text, or use vampirism as a metaphor for a variety of contemporary social ills. Charles Morey’s adaptation for Pioneer Theatre Company provides an even more compelling framework - the collision between an era of scientific reason and an era of un-questioning religious belief. … There’s a tremendous amount of purely satisfying stagecraft to Morey’s presentation … but “Dracula” proves most fascinating as a duel between the rationality of Dr. Seward and the God-fearing Van Helsing. The living dead become a perversion of the resurrection… provides the same disturbing undercurrent as cinematic tales of exorcism. This “Dracula” is no parody with fangs and accent; on this stage he comes to life as a demon incarnate.
Scott Renshaw
Salt Lake City Weekly
…a hair-raising evening out.
Erica Hansen
The Deseret News
You usually don’t expect to be spooked at the theater …”Dracula”, however, might make you squirm and put a chill in your veins …it’s creepy and if you love Halloween, the entire effect of “Dracula” is good squeal inducing fun.
Lara Rosenbaum
Salt Lake Magazine
… foregrounds the clash between good and evil while providing the audience with plenty of chills … Morey’s adaptation is restrained, atmospheric and moody, with nothing over the top, although there are thrills, scares and creepy moments throughout.
Marsha Maxwell
My Salt Lake
THE REPERTORY THEATRE OF ST. LOUIS
October - November 1992
…DRACULA deserves all the applause it's going to get here in St. Louis and it would be a shame not to take this brilliant production to other cities - it's too good a play and ensemble to break up after only a few weeks... Charles Morey's adaptation...comes as a surprise... The power of this DRACULA comes from the newness that Charles Morey provides from the intellectual struggle (within both text and production) with which Morey has infused the old, stale plot...I came to the Rep expecting theatrics... and theatrics are plentiful and as gaudy as anyone could wish. But Morey's DRACULA is real theatre, too; genuine conflict embodied in the play's actions and words.
Harry Weber
The Riverfront Times
...The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis brings us a new adaptation of the classic horror thriller... from special effects to a talented cast, this one works on every level..
Steve Allen
KFUO-FM
...the Rep's production of the Charles Morey adaptation of DRACULA is exactly the the right sort of treat for this time of year, and definitely worth a visit...
Robert Boyd
KWMU-FM
The minute you enter the theater, you know you're in for something special. The Rep's DRACULA is visually exciting...captures the evil spirit of the classic tale...a potent theatrical happening.
Harry Hamm
KMOX-CBS
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY
October - November 1990
...a drama replete with the texture of a classic Gothic mystery... filled with suspense and intrigue...
Nancy Melich
Salt Lake Tribune
...the script crackles with a vigorous , at times pounding style... wonderfully theatrical...no less erotic than the novel, in fact it comes across as more so...
David Pace
The Event
Morey’s script is brilliant and cunning... appears to follow Stoker’s original concept almost word for word...
Ivan Lincoln
Deseret News
HILBERRY REPERTORY THEATRE
October - 2016
DRACULA is an Exceptionally Haunting Success at the Hilberry Theatre! Eerily set in the streets of Victorian London, the fantastic cast of the Hilberry Theatre's Dracula company keeps the audience on edge through their exceptional story telling of Bram Stoker's well-known tale in this newly revised adaptation that is unlike any other. It is a version faithful to the original Gothic thriller filled with terror, intrigue, romance, and the struggle between Good and Evil, which leaves no doubt in the mind of the audience that they have witnessed an exceptional piece of Michigan theatre.
Playwright Charles Morey revised Dracula as well as directed the show and his adaption of the Stoker novel is quite exceptional. What Morey brought to life on stage was not just a brief introduction to the novel, but the grit and heart of it. He truly has an understanding of Stoker's novel and he brought that vision to life in every aspect with this production. The unique way the plot unfolded through letters and journal entries narrated by the entire cast was very faithful to original novel and worked well on keeping the play in dark and twisted unknown path to the very end.
Katie Laban
Broadway World Detroit
The Hilberry Theatre’s production of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is a must see production, even for those who aren’t fans of the vampire genre. The acting is stellar, and the production values are on a par with a Broadway touring company. The special effects alone deserve a Wilde Award nomination, the local version of the Tonys. Charles Morey, who skillfully adapted the novel for the stage, proves to be a strong director as well, delivering a mesmerizing story free from any – pardon the phrase – “dead time.”
Sue Suchyta
DownRiver Sunday Times
October 12-28, 2018
"Writer/director Morey clearly deserves his own standing ovation. he has worked all the intricate pieces of this production as a chess master... this clever staging and impressive cast will provide a properly chilling experience."
Rick Busciglio
NJfootlights.net / NJ Arts Maven
"...an exceptional production... the performance is enthralling... action packed... bringing all of the suspense, terror and excitement to the stage... will keep audience members on the edge of their seats."
Marina Kennedy
Broadway World
DENVER CENTER THEATRE COMPANY
October 1-31, 2010
...from the very beginning audiences are pulled into this dark and treacherous world ... Bram Stoker's Dracula is thrilling, chilling and a fantastic production to see during this Halloween season ... this is the father of all vampires, the original vampire story.
Noah Jordan
303 Magazine
A surprisingly original take on the iconic horror story... Drawing from the epistolary style of Stoker’s 1897 novel the DCTC production carves out an authentic niche… creates a strong sense of time, place and authenticity… Driven by a strong ensemble, an innovative dramatic structure, and some genuinely spooky special effects, Charles Morey’s dramatic adaptation feels like a paen to Stoker’s original vision.
Aurora Sentinel
(Five Stars) Denver Center’s”Dracula”… delightfully chilling… the structure of the piece is strong and ultimately their production of this classic is, well, classy … a chilling night appropriate for the coming Halloween.¦
He Said / She Said
Mile High Critics
... By the end of Act one I realized I had been sitting with my breath held for at least a half an hour ...
Greg Rice
BroadwayWorld
Charles Morey's thrilling adaptation of Bram Stoker's gothic tale is loyal to the original novel in both plot and style ... lushly styled and amply frightening.
Denver Performing Arts Examiner
...well performed ... a snarling intensity.
John Moore
Denver Post
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY
October 22 - November 6, 2010
“Dracula” enfolds audiences with primal voices… so atmospheric and all-enveloping that it blurs the boundaries between its reality and our own. Morey has also hooked into the primal elements that make stories of vampires perennially popular: the clash between good and evil… the desire for immortality and power over others, and particularly the struggle in each individual between spirituality and sensuality. The story of “Dracula” is so archetypal that it will probably never stop speaking to audiences, Pioneer Theatre Company’s production dramatically demonstrates why.
Barbara Bannon
The Salt Lake Tribune
Modern interpretations of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” often focus on its psycho-sexual sub-text, or use vampirism as a metaphor for a variety of contemporary social ills. Charles Morey’s adaptation for Pioneer Theatre Company provides an even more compelling framework - the collision between an era of scientific reason and an era of un-questioning religious belief. … There’s a tremendous amount of purely satisfying stagecraft to Morey’s presentation … but “Dracula” proves most fascinating as a duel between the rationality of Dr. Seward and the God-fearing Van Helsing. The living dead become a perversion of the resurrection… provides the same disturbing undercurrent as cinematic tales of exorcism. This “Dracula” is no parody with fangs and accent; on this stage he comes to life as a demon incarnate.
Scott Renshaw
Salt Lake City Weekly
…a hair-raising evening out.
Erica Hansen
The Deseret News
You usually don’t expect to be spooked at the theater …”Dracula”, however, might make you squirm and put a chill in your veins …it’s creepy and if you love Halloween, the entire effect of “Dracula” is good squeal inducing fun.
Lara Rosenbaum
Salt Lake Magazine
… foregrounds the clash between good and evil while providing the audience with plenty of chills … Morey’s adaptation is restrained, atmospheric and moody, with nothing over the top, although there are thrills, scares and creepy moments throughout.
Marsha Maxwell
My Salt Lake
THE REPERTORY THEATRE OF ST. LOUIS
October - November 1992
…DRACULA deserves all the applause it's going to get here in St. Louis and it would be a shame not to take this brilliant production to other cities - it's too good a play and ensemble to break up after only a few weeks... Charles Morey's adaptation...comes as a surprise... The power of this DRACULA comes from the newness that Charles Morey provides from the intellectual struggle (within both text and production) with which Morey has infused the old, stale plot...I came to the Rep expecting theatrics... and theatrics are plentiful and as gaudy as anyone could wish. But Morey's DRACULA is real theatre, too; genuine conflict embodied in the play's actions and words.
Harry Weber
The Riverfront Times
...The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis brings us a new adaptation of the classic horror thriller... from special effects to a talented cast, this one works on every level..
Steve Allen
KFUO-FM
...the Rep's production of the Charles Morey adaptation of DRACULA is exactly the the right sort of treat for this time of year, and definitely worth a visit...
Robert Boyd
KWMU-FM
The minute you enter the theater, you know you're in for something special. The Rep's DRACULA is visually exciting...captures the evil spirit of the classic tale...a potent theatrical happening.
Harry Hamm
KMOX-CBS
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY
October - November 1990
...a drama replete with the texture of a classic Gothic mystery... filled with suspense and intrigue...
Nancy Melich
Salt Lake Tribune
...the script crackles with a vigorous , at times pounding style... wonderfully theatrical...no less erotic than the novel, in fact it comes across as more so...
David Pace
The Event
Morey’s script is brilliant and cunning... appears to follow Stoker’s original concept almost word for word...
Ivan Lincoln
Deseret News
HILBERRY REPERTORY THEATRE
October - 2016
DRACULA is an Exceptionally Haunting Success at the Hilberry Theatre! Eerily set in the streets of Victorian London, the fantastic cast of the Hilberry Theatre's Dracula company keeps the audience on edge through their exceptional story telling of Bram Stoker's well-known tale in this newly revised adaptation that is unlike any other. It is a version faithful to the original Gothic thriller filled with terror, intrigue, romance, and the struggle between Good and Evil, which leaves no doubt in the mind of the audience that they have witnessed an exceptional piece of Michigan theatre.
Playwright Charles Morey revised Dracula as well as directed the show and his adaption of the Stoker novel is quite exceptional. What Morey brought to life on stage was not just a brief introduction to the novel, but the grit and heart of it. He truly has an understanding of Stoker's novel and he brought that vision to life in every aspect with this production. The unique way the plot unfolded through letters and journal entries narrated by the entire cast was very faithful to original novel and worked well on keeping the play in dark and twisted unknown path to the very end.
Katie Laban
Broadway World Detroit
The Hilberry Theatre’s production of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is a must see production, even for those who aren’t fans of the vampire genre. The acting is stellar, and the production values are on a par with a Broadway touring company. The special effects alone deserve a Wilde Award nomination, the local version of the Tonys. Charles Morey, who skillfully adapted the novel for the stage, proves to be a strong director as well, delivering a mesmerizing story free from any – pardon the phrase – “dead time.”
Sue Suchyta
DownRiver Sunday Times