It will be a bloodsucking good time this weekend at the Vortex Theatre, when sketch comedy and blood donation meet in "Bram Stoker's Dracula Goes To College," a late night horror-comedy extravaganza.
In this production, seriousness goes out the door and is replaced with a good laugh and two-for-one tickets if you donate blood to United Blood Services.
It is performed and produced by Eat, Drink and Be Larry, a local revolving comedy troupe. In it, Dracula realizes he's flat broke, and because he's been alive for so long, decides it's time to pursue higher education. He enrolls at UNM, and hijinks ensue.
This comedy parodies the big-budget movie versions of Dracula with tons of subtle jokes and song-and-dance numbers woven into the play.
"The story is about his trials and tribulations of being a college freshman," co-writer and contributor Jason Witter says. "It counters everyone else's production of the 'serious Dracula' and we figured we would do the most ridiculous 'Dracula' possible."
Eat, Drink and Be Larry was founded by a group of UNM theater students including Witter, Aaron Frale, Jessica Osborn, Rusty Rutherford and others who were inspired by a comedy writing class they took with professor Digby Wolfe. Instead of dooming the hard work and developing talent gained in the class to a life of gathering dust on a shelf, they put their inspiration into action.
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"We felt we were in a situation where we could take what we learned in class and apply it to the real world and create an actual show," Witter said.
Many core members of the comedy troupe attend UNM and work with the Vortex Theatre along with other local comedy writers, musicians and performers who also serve as the cast.
"The goal is to give (these artists) a place to try their craft and to bring homegrown, cutting-edge comedy to Albuquerque on a consistent basis," according to a news release.
The troupe also uses its performances to support local charities.
"We are trying to do shows on a regular basis so that we can help out more community service organizations," Witter said.
COMING ATTRACTION
"Bram Stoker's Dracula Goes to College"
Fridays and Saturdays through
Oct. 30 at 10:45
Vortex Theatre
Two tickest for the price of one can be received fora blood donation at United Bloood Service
