For more production photos of Dracula at Skyline College, please click HERE

Dracula was another Skyline College Theater Club production.  As such, the budget was low and the expectations were high.  The set I conceived was the study of the castle where most of the show takes place.  Atmosphere and mood was important in this production so I opted for a “vaulted archway” over the study that formed a faux proscenium and when lit properly, cast a shadow across the set that would resemble a “bat”.  There were also some trick pieces that I took the opportunity to make into carpentry lessons for my class such as the “sliding bookshelf” hidden door, fireplace escape, and the trap that we constructed over the orchestra pit to aid in Dracula’s quick vanish.  In order to add an element of discomfort and fear, I incorporated a lesson in sound effects into my tech production class, borrowing from fear philosophies of Ridley Scott and asking the students to bring in audio clips of sounds that made them feel “uncomfortable” (ie: fingernails on chalkboards, cat fights, air raid sirens) and we incorporated them into the score and sound effects.  We even used Adobe Audition’s sound shaping in conjunction with the Ethersound network that connected the booth PC to the FOH console to give the “bat” that Dracula transforms into actual direction and movement over the audiences head.  Overall, between the original score that I encouraged the students produce, and the effects, we were able to make a tired classic frightening again.

For more production photos of Dracula at Skyline College, please click HERE