The ‘Dracula’ Score

Kenneth Turan was generous in his review of UCLA’s staging of “Dracula” when he said “. . . there was clearly no time to get things aurally right for Royce [Hall], and that was a shame” (“Live Musical Accompaniment Drains ‘Dracula’ of Its Scariness,” Nov. 1).

“A shame” is a major understatement! The soundtrack was completely unintelligible. I was outraged at having spent $40 per ticket for a presentation lasting one hour and 15 minutes, and being unable to understand much of the film’s dialogue.

MICHELE STONE

Tujunga

*

Everything Turan said in his review was true. The positioning of the musicians was obtrusive. The dialogue was hard to make out. The total effect was disappointing.

However, I urge him to get the video, in which Philip Glass’ score creates a feeling of erotic dread, and prepare to be thoroughly hypnotized. Not only did it work for me, my sixth-grade students at Berendo Middle School viewed it during Halloween week. A tougher audience for a black-and-white ‘30s film could not be imagined, yet they were . . . hypnotized. Their attention was riveted to the screen.

It is bothersome to admit that a film doesn’t work in a theater setting. But who cares? If it works anywhere like it did in my classroom, it’s got to be great.

DANA PERLSTEIN

Los Angeles