in development: Dracula (Annotated)
ABOUT THE PROJECT
How do long-held prejudicial beliefs show up in a popular novel from England written at the turn of the 20th century, and in what ways do those beliefs still operate today? To what extent can perceptions of antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia be deemed as accurate and true, and how much is in the eye of the beholder?
In our next project, we investigate Bram Stoker’s Dracula, weaving together our unique blend of historical investigation and heightened theatricality to create a new work from the core of the novel. This is the second in a series of “Annotated” productions in which we explode and explore classic or well-known and culturally influential works to disrupt more familiar or comfortable ways of engaging with them.
Premiering in Los Angeles, September 2025.
IN-PROCESS PRESENTATIONS
In October and November we presented a series of three reading-and-discussion events featuring selections from the in-development script – thanks to those who joined us in this phase of our development process!
Our March event will include new and updated material written and revised after these fall events. Join us for selections from the next iteration of the work on the 30th.
LOS ANGELES, CA
WHEN: Sunday, March 30, 2025, 5 PM
WHERE: Skirball Cultural Center
TICKETS: $20 general admission; $15 members/seniors/students
This event will consist of approximately 85 minutes of performed readings from the in-process work accompanied by music and will be followed by a discussion with the audience.
We are happy to have this reading included as the first event in Reflections on Art and Democracy 2025 – a celebration of plays and lectures in Los Angeles aimed at raising awareness about the rise of fascism and antisemitism, the power of art and design to resist them, and the confluence of visual and performative artworks to promote democracy.
UPCOMING IN-PROCESS PRESENTATIONS
PREVIOUS IN-PROCESS PRESENTATIONS
LOS ANGELES, CA
WHEN: Saturday, October 19, 2024, 7 PM
WHERE: The Philosophical Research Society (PRS)
MONTREAL, QC
WHEN: Saturday, November 16, 2024, 7 PM
WHERE: the Museum of Jewish Montreal
This presentation was part of our residency in Montreal.
TORONTO, ON
WHEN: Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 7 PM
WHERE: Toronto Holocaust Museum
This presentation was part of our residency in Toronto.
Our 2024 in-process readings were photographed by Jon Weinberg, Austin Henderson, and Shay Markowitz. The Los Angeles reading included our primary cast – Edgar Landa, Adam Lebowitz-Lockard, Julie A. Lockhart, Diana Tanaka, and Jonathan C.K. Williams. The Montreal and Toronto readings included actors touring with The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad – Joe Jordan, Julie A. Lockhart, Diana Tanaka, Inger Tudor, and Jonathan C.K. Williams. All readings were accompanied by musician Andrew Anderson with discussions facilitated by writer/director Aaron Henne.
THE TEAM
Writer/Director: Aaron Henne
Development cohort: Erith Jaffe-Berg, Leslie K. Gray, Edgar Landa, Adam Lebowitz-Lockard, Julie A. Lockhart, Flori Schutzer, Diana Tanaka, Jonathan C.K. Williams
Actors:
Edgar Landa
Adam Lebowitz-Lockard
Julie A. Lockhart
Diana Tanaka
Jonathan C.K. Williams
Swing:
Kēhau Gabriel
Composer: Matthew Brown
Lighting designer: Brandon Baruch
Costume designer: Kathryn Poppen
Consulting Scholar: Carol Margaret Davison, PhD
Contributing Scholar: Erith Jaffe-Berg, PhD
The team for Dracula (Annotated) will evolve as development continues and production needs are identified.
our process
So...how do we create a new work?
Each theatre dybbuk work is conceived by Artistic Director Aaron Henne and created with the ensemble. The process begins with internal research and then takes up to three years from the first group meeting to opening night.
In the first phase of the process, we have around a dozen script development meetings with the writer/director, dramaturg, composer, actors, designers, and a scholar.
We also have regular physical development sessions – meeting two to three times a month – with the actors, writer/director, choreographer, and other leaders of stylized performance, such as a mask and puppet designer.
As the script development concludes, a brief workshop phase begins where we experiment with choreography, music, and other show-specific performance elements such as shadow work, mask work, and puppetry. We also refine the script.
In the final four weeks leading up to opening night, we take what we learned during the workshop period and "set" the script, music, and various staging elements. While the script and staging may continue to change up until opening night, this final stage is a process of refining all that we have created up until then.
