Something is afoot at the Workhouse Arts Center. They seem to have discovered a magic spell for executing lesser-known comedic texts that have the potential to teeter but that Workhouse turns into certifiable top-tier comic theater. I reviewed their recent production of The Drowsy Chaperone, and I am becoming increasingly convinced that they sold their souls to the comedy gods for some magical secret to flawless theatrical laughs. Steve Rosen and Gordon Greenberg’s Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is a 90-minute parody of Bram Stoker’s Dracula that premiered off-Broadway last year, and its big-time roots are clear in its overall excellent script. Given its relatively short runtime, the show’s reliance on a cast of five’s exhaustive work playing multiple characters each (see: show inspiration The 39 Steps), and its premise of being a parody show of a well-known property, could all bode a mediocre affair, but the show is an utter joy and one of the best I’ve seen recently. Noah Mutterperl (Dracula) and Seth Drenning (Harker) in ‘Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.’ Photo by Kayla Garcia. The vast majority of the script also defies expectations. There are only a few jokes that take you out of the moment — the rest of the time, you’re marveling at how good this show is. The show walks through the plot of Dracula, joking smartly about plot points and symbols in Stoker’s novel but also adding Shrek-like references throughout. The show is a genuine comedic treat with surprising intelligence, amplified by an excellent cast that brings all their energy to the role. It’s their quick movement through the script, not stopping to linger or waiting to make sure you got the joke, to the show’s great benefit. Too many comedic plays and comedy shows slow jokes down out of fear audiences won’t get it and don’t keep the dopamine and serotonin going at a steady drip. By contrast, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is gushing with it. Noah Mutterperl steals the show as a hilariously sexy Dracula, posing and suggestively gesticulating at every turn. This adaptation of Dracula has come full circle by taking inspiration from aspects of Rocky Horror, a parody of Dracula in its own right. Mutterperl’s Dracula becomes a multifaceted parody of the “sexy monster,” the “monster boyfriend,” the hypersexualized antihero, and the novel Dracula itself: the book so often is masqueraded as sophisticated, moralistic classic literature when it is sensual, not to mention steamy and campy, in its roots and breaking of taboos. We see Dracula in this show and Mutterperl’s performance as we see him signified in the novel: an overtly sexual character in a novel that seems to want or need to hide its glaring symbolism. Something is refreshing about seeing the glare of the symbolic meaning of this novel laid bare on stage. He’s always covered up, but you get it. TOP: Seth Drenning (Harker), with masked members of the cast; ABOVE: Jolene Vettesse (Mina), Hope Cassady (Lucy), and Adam R. Adkins (Renfield), in ‘Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.’ Photos by Kayla Garcia. In line with this, many of the show’s jokes, especially those delivered verbally or physically by Mutterperl, point out the novel’s, gothic fantasy genre’s, and the general entertainment world’s, acceptance of sexual harassment, noting the sheer ridiculousness of abusing power for selfish purposes. Mutterperl’s performance in the title role is a key vehicle for the show’s ability to come across as quietly intelligent as it is. The script has switched the roles of Lucy and Mina from their roles in Stoker’s novel, for some reason: Harker’s fiancée is Lucy, and Mina is the one with limited romantic prospects. Maybe there was a smart joke wrapped up in there somewhere: I missed it if so. That said, Hope Cassidy is a fantastic Lucy, being utterly immersed in her line delivery and believably in love with the adorable Seth Drenning as Jonathan Harker, who plays the Nervous Little British Guy stock character with such archetypical accuracy that his performance becomes wonderfully satirical. When he and Dracula have one-on-one, subtext-laden exchanges, you feel like you’re watching Good Omens. Noah Mutterperl (Dracula), center, with Adam R. Arkins (Dr. Westfeldt) and Jolene Vettesse (Mina) in ‘Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.’ Photo by Kayla Garcia. Adam Radkins is an incredibly talented costume-changer, improviser, and comic: as Renfield, Dracula’s insect-eating sidekick, Radkins is a comedic tour de force, playing dramatically different characters with flair, assurance, and incredible talent. Jolene Vettese is a great Jean Van Helsing and Mina, excellently occupying the role of foil to some of the nonsense crashing down around her, and being the nonsense in those roles respectively. Little is left to be critiqued. Several mediocre jokes were made funnier through delivery; when jokes were middling rather than laugh-out-loud funny, which is quite rare these days but overwhelmingly common in this show, they could have been sped through or changed in their delivery. I would be interested in learning more about the progress of choreographing a comedic show and the role that plays in making the humor work. Workhouse Arts Center has truly hit a home run yet again, and a tiny drop of their comedic lifeblood could sustain an entire other theater: they are overflowing with red-hot talent. Leave some lifeblood for the rest of us. Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission. Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors plays through October 27, 2024 (Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 2 PM), at the Workhouse Arts Center’s W-3 Theater located at 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA. Purchase tickets ($25–$40) at the box office, online, or by calling 703-584-2900. The playbill for Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is online here. COVID Safety: Masks are optional at Workhouse Arts Center for visitors and staff. If you prefer to wear a mask, you are welcome to do so. Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors By Steve Rosen and Gordon Greenberg CAST Dracula: Noah Mutterperl Lucy/Kitty/Others: Hope Cassady Harker/Gravedigger: Seth Drenning Dr. Westfeldt/Renfield/Others: Adam R. Adkins Mina/Dr. Van Helsing: Jolene Vettese