Expect blood curdling howling from wild dogs on the moors, thunder rumbling in the distance, ominous shadows hanging on the walls, and frightening creatures stalking the Stewart Plantation.
Oh, and also expect the BeeGees performing “Stayin’ Alive” and a little disco dancing.
The Iroquois-Matilda Lions Club cast is well into rehearsals for its exciting spring production, The Count Will Rise Again or Dracula in Dixie, a comedy horror spoof. The play will run at Upper Canada Playhouse for four performances only, April 21-23.
“We are currently working at St. John the Baptist Anglican Church in Iroquois,” said director Wendy Gibb. “But we hope to move our rehearsals to the Playhouse by the end of this month. Meantime, the cast is very busy learning lines and blocking, and coping with the physical demands this particular play makes.”
The farce, by Dennis Snee, is a take-off on the classic novel, Dracula, by Bram Stoker. It also has fun with most of the vampire films of the last 40 years.
“This is actually an hilarious show to work on,” Gibb added. “The characters the cast are developing, the clever lines and the wildly comic situations in The Count, promise that audiences are really going to enjoy this production.”
Count Dracula has mysteriously immigrated to the heart of the Deep South, taking up ‘residence’ at the Carfax Plantation, near the Stewart Plantation and Asylum. During the course of the comedy, it soon becomes clear that the debonair Count is in the mood for a few innocent Southern Belles to add to his collection of un-dead Vampire Brides.
However, little does the Count appreciate, when he goes after Southern Womanhood, the determined forces that will challenge his ancient evil: Doc Stewart, Colonel Van Helsing, Bobby Joe the Lawyer, and the formidable Southern Deputy Sheriff Wanda Womper, to say nothing of Jarvis the butler and Miss Rose.
And, of course, Renfield the Lunatic.
The cast includes Marg Johnston, Erica Scott, Reina DeJong, Rick Mackenzie, Jim Mustard, Margaret Swerdfeger, Bill Rumble, Barry Fawcett, Brian Speer and, as the Count, Glenn Swerdfeger.
The set has been designed by John Thompson, who will also be painting the lush Southern backdrops. Tristan Goethel, technical director at Upper Canada Playhouse, is handling lighting and sound for the play. Dick Piché will take on the challenges of prompter for the show.
Jim Locke heads up the construction crew. Construction on the set of The Count Will Rise Again, should begin the first of March on site at the Playhouse.
Members of the Iroquois Lions club and friends will be stepping in to handle the many other tasks involved with putting on one of the club’s semi-annual theatricals from stage management to front of house and sales.
As always, all the funds raised by the Iroquois-Matilda Lions club from this play will go towards projects that benefit the entire South Dundas community.
This is the Lions’ 18th stage production. The most recent show was 2014’s Bottoms Up! The club has performed a number of plays including Harvey, You Can’t Take It with You, The Best Laid Plans, Arsenic and Old Lace and Friday Always Leads to Murder.
The Count Will Rise Again follows in the Lions’ tradition of presenting a show which, judging from past years, will be hilarious.
The Playhouse staff is also lending its expertise and great support to the project.
Tickets are $20 for the Saturday matinee April 23, only. All other tickets for the evening shows April 21-23 are $25.
The Lions are working with Scotiabank’s Matching Funds community program this year. Scotiabank will match the funds raised through any ticket sales at their Morrisburg and South Mountain branches.
Tickets are also available at Mustard’s Variety, Upper Canada Playhouse, or from any member of the Iroquois-Matilda Lions Club.
Don’t miss the Lions’ production of The Count Will Rise Again or Dracula in Dixie, opening at UCP April 21.
Or, as the Count might say, “Fangs for your support.”
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