DRACULA Scenic/Lighting Flow and Requirements as Scripted

Time and Place: 1897, London and Transylvania

Lucy's bedroom, Renfield's cell, Dracula's castle, and the guest room at the asylum.

ACT ONE

Scene 1 (p.9/10) Small table, downstage of curtain. The table is elegantly set, for one. Linen. Waiter enters and fills glass with red wine.

Projection of Picture of BRAM STOKER on Curtain.

Covered Silver Platter. Inside a brown rat. Rat should move as "still alive". Renfield liftrs the squirming rat by the tail and dangles it about his head, lowering it down into his mouth.

Scene ends as Renfield is physically carried out by attendance as the curtain rises to reveal.

Scene 2 (p.10-14) Lucy's Bedroom. Sunset. A bed and a large window are prominent. Long, thick black drapes frame the window.

Lucy must stand on the bed.

Lucy must pull a sheet from the bed and wrap it around her like a cape. Probably threatening … a la Dracula. She whips cape over Mina and pounces on her. They rough house under the sheet, laughing and tickling each other.

While scene continues, Mina's thoughts go to Harker. A shaft of light rises on him perhaps he is rised in the air. Black scrim or something for a lighting reveal and dissolve.

Harker in the Carpathian Mountains. On the ground next to him are his valise and briefcase. His spirit is buoyant. Trees rustling. Perhaps a swaying gobo of a bare tree limb.

Lights out on Harker as scene continues in Lucy's Bedroom.

Lucy rushes to the window and playfully "clothes" herself in the long black drape.

"In the eyes of the MOON…" Possible Moon Box and different Sun Box. Lighting.

Lucy and Mima play under the sheet again.

"open the window on your way out".

Scene fades out and actors/scenery go away as lights back up on Harker, same as before only this time coat is off, paper and drinking wine from a goblet. Trees rustling again.

Scene fades and lights up on Lucy's Sitting Room.

Scene 3 (p. 14 - 16 ) Lucy's Sitting Room. NOON. A different time. Not a continuation. Window again. Maybe the same one, maybe a different one. Place for Lucy to sit with make-up table looking into a hand mirror. Seward enters. Romantic.

Seward exits and scene follows him. Isolation on him … an aside as Lucy's Room goes away. At end of his aside Seward rushes into the screams of an asylum and lights to reveal Renfield's cell in the Asylum.

Scene 4 (p.16 -18 ) Renfield's cell in the Asylum. Renfield is busily making notations in a crude notebook in his cell. He is chained at the ankle. Probably a table and 3 chairs.

Sparrow flies around inside a crude birdcage.

Renfield eats a fly … probably just imagined.

On cue the scene shifts to p. 18 as the cell goes away. Crash of thunder and rush of music as lights shift to

Scene 5 (p.18 -19) A silhouette of Dracula, far U., his arms extended, his cape opened, bat-like. From the silhouette, a pair of red eyes glowing in the darkness. We do not see his face. A great burst of smoke -- another crash of thunder/music, and in an instant, the silhouette is gone. In its place is -- Harker, in a shaft of light … he speaks w/ urgency from billowing smoke and forbidding darkness. Sound of bats shrieking, doors slamming.

On cue the scene shifts to p.19 as the storm breaks wide open, filling the theatre with sound and fury, as lights shift to

Scene 6 (p.19) LUCY'S BEDROOM. Night a FULL MOON is outside the window. Lightning illuminates the dark room at random intervals. Lucy and Mina asleep in the bed, as the storm rages. A wolf howls. Lucy sleep walks to the window, throws open the drapes. She touches the window very slightly with her fingers, as though caressing it. Then, she presses her entire body flush against the window. She writhes with pleasure. Wicked crack of thunder wakes Mina. Lucy must be able to jump onto the window sill.

Lights crossfade to Renfield's Cell

Scene 7 (p.19- 20 ) Renfield's cell in the Asylum. Does not require a setting, only asylum tone. Maybe lighting.

Renfield reaches inot his mouth and coughs, producting a sparrow feather.

Flash of Thunder/lightning as a shaft of light reveals.

Scene 8 (p.20-21) Harker

Crash of lightning and lights reveal three isolated spaces.

Scene 9 (p.21) Harker, Lucy's bedroom, Renfield's cell.

At end, Harker must be overcome by the slithering Vixens. Lucy has hurled Mina back on the bed and jumps back onto the window sill to be silhouetted by a MOON box. Seward rush away from Renfield, who pets the dead Attendant. Then suddenly, ALL LIGHT vanishes but a small shaft, D. Storm snaps out. All is silent.

Scene 10 (21-22) There is a dim light … Coffin. It shakes a bit. More shaking. Then lid slowly opens. As it does, the lights snap off. Silence.

Scene 11 (22-23 )Lights back up on Ships Wheel, weathered, stand along, attached only to a few battered planks. Human skeleton lashed to wheel with rosy. In front is Man (Dracula) with back to audience. We do not see his face. Seward enters. It is nearly dawn. Scene ends with Sun coming up as Dracula leaves and scene shifts to LUCY’S.

Scene 12 (23-25 ) Lucy’s Bedroom. MORNING. Seward pricks Lucy’s finger and drips blood into a container. Cross fade to …

Scene 13 (26) An Entryway in Lucy’s Home. Lights up on Maid with Dracula with back to audience as Harker. Maybe a stoop w/ the exterior door and the maid faces the audience. We hear Dracula as Harker but do not see his face until the Maid tells him he can enter. He exits as lights cross fade to a Santiarium.

Scene 14 (26-27 ) Santiarium in Hamburg. A simple white chair. Mina and Harker leave as lights cross fade to LUCY’S.

Scene 15 (27 - 29 ) Lucy’s Bedroom. Night with Moon. Drapes are parted allowing the Moonlight to flood into the room. Huge head of a grey wolf rises up into sight from outside the window or a silhouette or projection. Eyes glow red. Lucy closes one side of the drape. As she does the wolf’s eye fade and the head goes away. Lucy closes the other side of the drape which turns into DRACULA. He engulfs her into his arms.

Lucy runs to window to escape. Pushes it open. Dracula points to it and the window slams shut. Lucy pounds against the window.

Dracula bits Lucy. In the distances we see hundreds of pairs of red eyes glowing in the darkness. Then Dracula bits Lucy again as lights snap out. Lucy screams in darkness. Simultaneously, in the darkness, Renfield screams AS

Scene 16 (29 - 30 ) Lights up on Renfield’s Cell. He is chained as wrists and ankles to the wall or bars of his cell. He screams and struggles. Cross Fade to

Scene 17 (30 - ) Single light D. on Van Helsing who is reading a letter with a small valise. Lights expand to reveal Lucy’s Bedroom.

Scene 18 (30-43 ). Lucy’s Bedroom. Day. Lucy, weak, in bed. Seward sits at her side w/bed stand for glass. Blood transfusion. During the scene Harker walks downstage and an eerie green light beings to shine on his face.

Mina opens the Harker’s Journal as Lights come up simultaneously on a huge door opening. It is up and above. It is Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania. (35- 43) He descends a long staircase. The room is defined primarily by a few indeterminate objects which aare shrouded in black cloth. An ancient, cob-webbed chandelier hangs above, unlit.

Dracula waves hand and candles lights up on chandelier. Dracula throws back one of the black cloths to reveal dinner. Set, elegantly, for one. The covered silver platter is identical to the one used by Renfield in the first scene. 2 Chairs. Blows dust off wine bottle. Dracula throws back another cover to reveal a small bed and end table.

Harker stands by bed. Lights isolate on him as lights come up simultaneously on Lucy and Van Helsing. (37) Harker stands and shaves. Dracula appears behind him. Lucy reads. After Dracula leaves Harker on bed. Lights tight isolation to conceal arms and legs being tied to the bed. Then 2 vixens come out from under bed. They attack Harker. Dracula repells them. Bag with baby. Vixens eat baby inside bag and drip blood on Harker. Dracula removes another black cloth to reveal coffin, identical to the coffin before. Dracula steps into it and the lid slams shut. As it does, all lights snap off except one tight one on Mina. Next to her is a black raven.

END OF ACT ONE.

ACT TWO

Scene 1 (44- 48 ) A guest room at the asylum. Comfortably appointed, but obviously concerned with security … bars on window. Bed, window, a small table, and chairs are essential. Black drapes (like Lucy’s) frame window. Van Helsing and Seward festooning room with strings of garlic. Rubbing window, drapes, bed. Cross Fade to

Scene 2 (48-51 ) Renfield’s Cell. Renfield sits in a small, ornate chair made of gold bones, bedecked with jewels. Renfield produces a small curved sword. Cuts Seward on the arm. Blood on arm and on sword. Renfield licks blood off sword. Sunset to

Scene 2 (51 --56 ) A guest room at the asylum. The final cresent of a huge sun is seen outside the window. During this scene the sun will set completely. Cross fade

Scene 3 (56 -- 57 ) Renfield’s Cell. Chair is gone. Steaming cup of liquid in the cell. Steam pours over the sides of the cup like fog. Cell grows red. (57) Then red lights pulse. Renfield tosses steam from the cup in the air and the fog instantly turns to smoke. Light flicker and out. Smoke clears. Lights back up with Dracula standing there with large rat in his hand. He snaps the rat’s neck. Squeezes rat and blood out into Renfield’s month. Lights flicker again. Smoke. Lights out. Dracula disappears. Lights shift back to Guest room.

Scene 4 (57 -- 59 ) A guest room at the asylum. Night. Moon. Mina prepares for bed. Goes to drapes and closes them like Lucy did in Act I. Door in floor cracks open. Lights come out. Hand comes out of floor. Mina comes to it. The door opens and Mina disappears down into the floor. As lights shift to Renfield’s Cell.

Scene 5 (59 ) Renfield’s Cell. Cross over.

Scene 6 (59 - 63 ) Lucy’s Tomb. A raised stone sepulchre. Just before dawn. Van Helsing enters with a lantern. Stone slab over the tomb. Tools and then they push the stone to the side. Look down into tomb. Lucy appears in the distance. Sun rises slowly. Seward holds hand mirror up. The Sunrays reflect it directly into Lucy’s eyes. Lucy slumps back down into the tomb. Wooden stake driven into Lucy into the tomb. Her arm comes out. Blood on Van Hesling’s hands. Shift scene to.

Scene 7 (63 - 64 ) Renfield’s Cell. Renfield coughs wishbone. Snaps it. With broken wishbone, he picks the lock to the cell door and he runs away as scene shifts.

Scene 8 (64 - 76 ) A guest room at the asylum. Day. Mina on bed as a light shaft silhouettes her simultaneously while a shaft of light comes up on Van Helsing.

Then, the lights shift back to Guest Room at Night. Moon. Drapes are closed.

During prayer circle, hand extends from the drapes and parts them. At end of prayer, hands disappear. Second Blood transfusion.

Renfield enters the room through the ceiling or through a panel. Enters with a violin, which plays with an imaginary bow. Door in the floor opens. The coffin lifts out of floor. Renfield is on top of it as it lifts up into the room. Door opens pushing Renfield off and light pours out. Dracula enters from the coffin. Dracula takes the violin. Takes a string from the violin and wraps it around Renfield’s neck. Strangles him but releases him just before death. Then takes and snaps his neck. (bubble plastic).

Dracula cuts the transfusion tube. Then he sucks the blood from Mina.

Make-up. Dracula opens his shirt and slashes his chest with his finger nails. Bleeds.

Van Helsing thrust crucifix in front of Dracula. Instantly, the stage goes dark and the crucifix bursts into flames. Moment of darkness. Lights are restored. Dracula is gone.

Huge crack of thunder. Stage narrows to three shafts of light. D (76)

Scene 9 (76 - 78 ) Three Shafts. Mina and Steward in one. Van Helsing in one. Harker in other. On 77 the Sun becomes apparent and slowly sets.

78 Mina’s light snaps out.

Scene 10 (78 - 83 ) Lights up on Coffin on rocks in front of Castle Door. Steward, Van Helsing and Harker lift lid of coffin as sun is setting. Light pours out of coffin. They place communion hosts in a circle around the coffin. Enhanced by lights.

Sun is gone 79. Moonlight fill stage. Vixens appear.

Fight and then Dracula goes back into the coffin. Stake driven. Blood spurts out. Or Red vapor rises.

Scene 10 (78 - 83 ) Lights up on Coffin on rocks in front of Castle Door.

 

CURTAIN CALL. Renfield enters with covered silver platter. Removes top to reveal Dracula’s head.