|
Cadet Buiteux, Vampire - One in four of the French dramas that opened in Paris in 1820. Cadet Buiteux, Vampire debuted it's first performance in August of 1820, written by the playwright Desaugiers. After some performances past, the libretto, or the program guide handed to guests, adopted the motto, "Vivent les morts!" or as in the English translation, "Long Live the Dead!" .
Chastelard, A Tragedy- Written by English poet Charles Algernon Swineburne in 1865. This performance was based on Mary, Queen of Scots and a French courtier and poet, Pierre de Chastelard. In Swineburne’s writings, Mary, Queen of Scots is presented as some type of vampire. In the end, she is beheaded for being such a vile creature. The events and characters. although twisted in Swineburne’s tale, where actually factual characters. In 1563, while spending the night in Holyrood Palace, The French poet and courtier, Pierre de Chastelard, had hidden himself in Mary, Queen of Scots bedchamber, and tried to force himself upon the Queen as she was disrobing. Her screams brought her half-brother, the Earl of Moray to her bedchamber. Pierre de Chastelard was contained and taken to St.Andrews, where after a brief trial, he was found guilty and executed at the Mercat Cross. Before he drew his final breath, it is said that he shouted, "Adieu, thou most beautiful and most cruel Princess in the world".
Dracula - Irish Playwright and director, Hamilton Deane, brought Dracula to the stage in 1924. Dracula, was a derivative work from Bram Stoker’s 1897 Dracula Novel. Deane had negotiated a deal with Bram Stoker’s widow, Florence Stoker, for dramatic rights. Deane transformed Dracula into a more aristocratic character to fit in with Bristish society and was the first to depict Dracula with evening attire and opera cloak, that would later become the trademark of Dracula. Some of the scenes were treated with sensitivity, such as the end where Dracula is staked to death. The scene was set so that the performers would all be gathered around the coffin and give the impression of the staking, instead of it being openly viewed. Deane’s Dracula was an immediate hit with Bristish society. Every performance had a full house. It became so popular and loved by so many that it was not surprising to hear viewers repeating lines before the actors ever spoke them. The play officially opened in Derby, England, exact date is unknown to me at this time. On February 14, 1927, Deane opened Dracula at the Little Theatre in London.
In 1927, Horace Liveright purchased the American dramatic rights from Florence Stoker. Horace Liveright then hired newspaper editor, John L. Balderston to cast the novel for the New York stage. Although entirely rewritten, Hamilton Deane’s name had been respectfully retained on the publication, and on the various Balderston versions as well. Then, with the release of The Universal Pictures 1931 Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, Deane was in demand to keep the production going in England. In 1939, Deane’s company appeared at the Lyceum Theatre, where Stoker had once worked, and where Deane wrote the play, and once recited his work while trying to establish his dramatic rights. Here, Deane played Dracula for the first time. After a short time of performances, the Lyceum made the final curtain call and closed it’s doors forever. During one of the performances there, Bela Lugosi was in the audience, and rushed on stage at the close of the performance to embrace Deane.
Deane’s last performance of Dracula was in 1941 at St. Helen’s, Lancastershire. Deane passed away in 1958. His play, unfortunately, faded and was no longer used, with most post performances favoring the Balderston revision.
|
|
Before You Join:
Member Tools
Submit:
Fiction/Poetry
Real Vampires
Vampire Misc.
Occult
