Fresno State’s University Theatre will present the first production of its 2024/25 Mainstage Season, "Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really" based on the novel by Bram Stoker, written by Kate Hamill and directed by J. Daniel Herring. This is a Fresno premiere.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. September 27 – 28 and October 1 – 5 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, September 29 at the Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theatre on campus. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for Fresno State faculty, staff, alumni and military and $10 for all students, children under 12 are not permitted. Content Warning: Production contains stage weapons, staged physical violence, intimate partner violence, suicide, and depictions of blood.
Kate Hamill boldly reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, replacing gothic tropes of villains who wear evil on their sleeve and damsels in distress with all-too-human monsters and ferocious women who strike at the heart of the patriarchy. In her thrilling new adaptation, Hamill confronts the sexism in Stoker’s original work, transforming the story into a feminist battle cry. Bouncing between horror and humor, this gory, funny, and fierce retelling upends Victorian notions of fainting ladies and dashing villains, asking who the real monsters are and who is truly in distress.
“Kate Hamill's adaptation is very postmodern in its approach, and I like that choice she made,” says director J. Daniel Herring. “This approach allows the play to tackle issues and themes in the original story from a more feminist perspective. In addition, this postmodern approach allows me as a director to make some stylistic choices about how the play is staged."
Critics have raved about “Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” hailing it as a “tremendously entertaining” and “theatrically potent” spin on the vampire classic. ‘The Wall Street Journal’ calls it a "great big hit," while ‘Vulture’ enthuses, “This is the kind of horror I could watch all day.” Hamill’s bold adaptation pushes boundaries, blending horror with humor, while embracing powerful feminist themes. The play makes audiences reflect on who the true monsters are, delivering a fresh and fierce reimagining of the Dracula mythos. A must-see for fans of genre-bending, thought-provoking theatre.
The production features performances from Paulina Marín Contreras, Nico J. Diviccaro, Nubci Her, Steven Kairuz, Melanie Olguin, Paris Elise Richards, Beyoncé Rodriguez-Fabela, Molly Smith, Chloe Mae Tabor, and Jorge Romero Vaca.
Fresno State no longer requires masks to be worn indoors, but based on updated guidance from public health experts, the University highly recommends that all students, faculty, and staff, regardless of vaccination status, wear a surgical grade or KN95 mask indoors. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Latecomers will not be permitted, and there are no refunds or exchanges. The box office is open from noon to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday - Thursday and one hour before each performance, and it accepts cash, check, or credit card payments.
Parking is free for shows on Friday through Sunday night. For shows on Tuesday through Thursday night, parking permits are required and can be purchased at dispensers in parking lots on campus.
For more information, contact the box office at 559.278.2216 or universitytheatre@csufresno.edu.
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