O.C. THEATER REVIEW : A ‘Dracula’ With Just the Right Flavor

Is there any reason for yet another adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale? Apparently. Consider Bob Hall and David Richmond’s reconfiguration for off-Broadway, now playing at Orange Coast College.

All the original, blood-curdling ingredients are in place, but like good cooks, Hall and Richmond have added some spice and an extra tasty dollop of vampire-repellent garlic. Some healthy laughs bolster interest, as do some romantic pairings, not only between the normal folks but also the Count and the heroine, which is why this is rightly called “The Passion of Dracula.”

Director David Scaglione has found the scary moments in the script and has developed them with finesse, and he seems to revel equally in the camp tone and wordplay that sometimes makes even the characters do double-takes. Scaglione also designed the production in ways that create just the right period sense of apprehension. The sitting room of Dr. Cedric Seward’s sanitarium looks properly British, and the lighting, often intricate and fast-moving, is on the button.

Like the director, the cast is comfortable with the outrageous dialogue and actions required. There is no credit for a dialect coach, but someone has guided these actors into each of the diverse accents, from British to German to Transylvanian.

As Dr. Seward, Nathan Holden not only has the most striking accent but also has a control of the character that never veers as the events of this full moon night surround and engulf him. George Almond’s lucid Prof. Van Helsing is as close on target, as is Pat Bruno’s Jonathan Harker, a British nerd of a reporter. Bryan Prince’s fly- and rat-eating Renfield just misses being overboard; he always pulls back in time and manages a few very effective moments along the way.

Isaac Christopher is careful not to overdo the evil count, whose almond-shaped eyes look very Slavic and whose rich voice is just sepulchral enough to make one wonder why no one suspects his true intentions here in the English countryside.

The evening’s best performance, though, is given by Elizabeth Fallin as Seward’s niece Wilhelmina, beloved by reporter Harker and--perhaps for eternity--by Dracula. Fallin’s comic sense is a delight, and her obvious understanding of and dedication to the style are impressive.

* “The Passion of Dracula,” Orange Coast College’s Drama Lab Studio, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3, 7 and 10 p.m.; Sunday at 3 and 7 p.m. Ends Sunday. $5-$6. (714) 432-5880. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.

Isaac Christopher: Count Dracula

Elizabeth Fallin: Wilhelmina Murray

Nathan Holden: Dr. Cedric Seward

George Almond: Prof. Van Helsing

Bryan Prince: Renfield

Pat Bruno: Jonathan Harker

An Orange Coast College Repertory production of Bob Hall and David Richmond’s adaptation of the novel by Bram Stoker, directed and designed by David Scaglione. Costume supervision: Brenda Wyatt.