Curio Theatre Company presents Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen’s Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

That playful irreverence carries through Figueras’s direction, which keeps the pace brisk and the energy high. The ensemble of five leans fully into the mayhem, each bringing commitment, comic precision, and a sense of mischief to their roles. Aetna Gallagher’s costumes effectively support efficient storytelling and quick changes. Paul Kuhn’s appropriately spooky set gives Dracula ample opportunity for theatrical entrances and exits.

Funny and sexy

The action unfolds as Jonathan Harker (Riley Candyanne Sheetz) travels to Count Dracula’s (Matthew Carter) castle to finalize the purchase of several homes in England. Naturally, Dracula turns out to be a vampire, and, seeing a picture of Harker’s fiancée Lucy (Janine Silano), he decides to relocate to her seaside town of Whitby.

As Harker, Sheetz delivers a wonderfully nervous bookishness that makes for a charming entry point into the story. Their gradual transformation into a cool, rakish lover in the play’s latter moments is especially delightful. Silano’s Lucy is a confident, clear-headed heroine, the closest the production comes to sincerity. Carter’s Dracula is hunky, self-absorbed, and hopelessly lovesick. He mugs, poses, and writhes across the stage, stirring both chaos among the characters and more than a little dangerous desire in the audience.

Rounding out the company are two scene-stealing comic powerhouses. As the ship’s captain Dr. Westfeldt and as the manic Renfield, Emmie Parker commits to the absurd with infectious energy, keeping the audience in stitches, especially during a series of lightning-fast, impeccably executed quick changes. As Lucy’s overlooked sister Mina and a cheeky, feminist take on Dr. Van Helsing, Jack Taylor brings an irreverent sensuality that consistently earns some of the biggest laughs of the night.

A blood-soaked romp

If there is a fault to be found, it is in the sheer volume of jokes. By the final third, the relentless barrage begins to wear thin, especially as the plot hurtles through six different settings, recycling gags that were not especially funny the first time. The humor never quite stakes its landing. It does not help that this show runs long. Recent New York productions ran a brisk 90 minutes; Curio’s production adds about 20.

Still, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors delivers exactly what it promises: a delightfully silly, blood-soaked romp that knows precisely how ridiculous it is and relishes every minute of it.