Although Academy of Performing Arts founder Collin Kreuzer had never read Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” he wanted to sink his teeth into directing a play about everyone’s favorite bloodsucker.

“I was familiar with the movies, and thought it would be fun,” Kreuzer said during an interview just before rehearsals a week ago. “I never picked up the book until I decided to write my own version of the play.

“I had no idea the book was made up of journal entries and letters,” he said. “I didn’t know how I was going to create a dialog. I mean the reader lives vicariously in the writings, as if they were eavesdropping or reading the characters’ diaries.”

After reflecting on the book, Kreuzer focused on the book’s more scary and intense scenes and started from there.

“I had only a month to write a script,” he said. “So I sequestered myself in my upper room and cranked it out.”

While Kreuzer’s play, which opens at the Egyptian Theater on Oct. 22, is based directly on the Stoker book, he took some liberties with the characters.

“I had to leave out some characters,” he said. “But the others Jonathan Harker, Mina, Lucy, Renfield, Dracula and Van Helsing are there.”

Kreuzer said one of the things that surprised him about the book was how little the Dracula character appears in the story.

“He is in the beginning and then towards the end,” Kreuzer said. “So I kept his appearances minimal, which only made the scenes he’s in more powerful and creepy.”

“Dracula” marks Kreuzer’s return to Park City, a place he first called home when he was 4 years old.

“My parents moved from Salt Lake and took over the Old Kilby Cafe,” Kreuzer said. “That eventually became the Leprechaun Lodge.

“So between the grades K through 12, I was there,” Kreuzer said with a laugh.

During his teen years, Kreuzer involved himself in various theatrical productions with Park City Performances.

“And I also did the Silver Wheel Theatre (the Egyptian’s previous incarnation) where the building was so old there was rain coming in from the holes in the roof.”

In 1995, Kreuzer opened the Academy of Performing Arts in Salt Lake City.

“We leased out an old pet store on Highland Drive and had a small stage,” he said.

The school, which, Kreuzer says, has provided more than $25,000 in scholarships to at-risk youths, is now located at 2207 S. Main Street in Salt Lake City.

Kreuzer’s “Dracula” premiered at the school in 2005 to raves from critics and audience members.

“I liked hearing from people how creeped out they were during the performances,” he said.

The production is so chilling at times that Kreuzer said if he had small children, he would think twice about bringing them to a performance.

“It is not one for little kids,” he said. “There’s a scene with the character called the ‘Woman in White,’ and she has a young child with her when she comes back to her tomb. The scene is quite disturbing when it begins to unfold.”

Kreuzer, who also plays the title character, recruited a cast of characters from Salt Lake who help bring this legendary tale to life.

Judith Hutchinson plays Mina Murray, who is betrothed to Jonathan Harker, portrayed by Jason Thompson.

“I view Mina as a genuine person,” Hutchinson said about her interpretation of the character. “She is truthful and sincere in all of her words and actions, which gives her depth in this dark tale.”

Thompson’s Harker, who is held captive in Dracula’s castle for the first part of the play, is strong willed and loyal.

“As the play goes on, Jonathan emerges as the broken down soul who is determined to save the city from the vampire,” Thompson said.

Harker’s determination is shared by Dr. Seward, who has the misfortune of having his beloved Lucy killed by Dracula.

“I always thought the doctor was an experimental type,” said Jon Young, who portrays Seward. “He’s a helpless romantic who falls in love with women of questionable backgrounds, such as Lucy. And when she dies, that gives him the motivation to become a vampire hunter and get his revenge.”

When approaching the roles of the vampire brides, Kijana Adamson and Laura Dexter zeroed in on the physical and sensual power of these seductive night walkers.

“Vampires, especially the women, are erotic,” Adamson said. “And they are powerful and strong, because they have lived for centuries.”

“But we want to take the audience into a place where they’re not just watching us be sexy,” said Dexter. “We want them to see that we pose a real threat to humanity.”

Dracula, his brides and the Woman in White aren’t the only malevolent characters in the play. There’s also the Matron of the Household, played by Heather Buckmiller.

“Most of the characters have some sort of redeeming quality within themselves,” Buckmiller said. “But not my character. She’s a jealous woman who likes to throw around her power, which adds a lot of tension to the already tense situations.”

For Jeff Spafford, playing the role of Renfield is challenging physically and mentally.

“This is my second time playing the role” Spafford said. “The first time, I was kind of thrown into it because the person originally cast had to drop out. So it was a trial by fire as I learned the blocking and the lines. There was really no way for me to really get into the character.

“This time it’s the other way around,” he said. “I know the blocking. Which allows me to focus on the character. And he’s complex. He’s dark. And when I get into character, I surprise myself because I never knew I had those kinds of thoughts in my head.”

“Dracula” runs Oct. 22-30 at the Egyptian Theatre. Curtain is 8 p.m.. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. They can be purchased by calling 435-649-9371 or by logging on to www.parkcityshows.com

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