The Crucible Story of Dracul: Prince of Fire
This is a crafted turn of events that brought about the start of the vampire legend, based on the actual 15th century historical character who belonged to the Order of the Dragon, a military group that fought the Ottoman Empire. In Romanian he was referred to as Dracul, meaning dragon. Dracul was the father of Vlad Tepes the Impaler, more commonly known as Dracula. The name Dracula means: “Son of Dracul”.The story begins with Dracul exploring the dark outer regions of his land. He encounters something both monstrous and magnificent and is attacked. He feels strange fiery venom coursing through his body as it dies. But he is not dead. Dracul awakes infused with a strange power…as a burning desire for blood grows within him. Applying his new-found abilities to an industrial use; he gains great power from building and creating with fire.

As Dracul is building his industrial empire, a pair of young lovers seeks shelter from a storm in Dracul’s factory. They text a friend for help, but things turn dark quickly when Dracul’s workers torment them and Dracul falls deeply for the young girl. Trying to flee they are joined by a slayer. A fiery battle begins, but he vanishes in a thunderclap. The slayer and two lovers escape.

The friend of the young lovers, Lucy, enters the castle looking for them. Dracul can’t resist Lucy and lures her into his aerie to feed upon her. The young lovers find their friend apparently dead, they begin to mourn her but soon realize that she has been transformed into Nosferatu: the undead. The slayer comes to their rescue and fights the vampire, driving a stake through her once-pure heart. As the young girl mourns her friend Lucy, Dracul descends on her.

The young man tries to rescue his love, but he realizes she is no longer his innocent young maid. He must kill her, even if it breaks his heart. Dracul cannot accept that his undying love is now dead and seeks to bring her back to life; using his powers of fire and creativity, he revives her. As they celebrate with a macabre dance, the young man and slayer appear to put an end to Dracul and all he has created. After a monumental battle, two figures walk off into the sunrise, and the legend begins . . .

The Music:
In 1997 Northern Ballet Theatre commissioned Philip Feeney to create an ballet score based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We here at The Crucible found the innovative and inspirational score he created to be perfect for our original fire ballet: Dracul, Prince of Fire. As often happens in ballet theater, music director Scott Sterling has made adjustments in this great work in order to best merge it with the talents of our performers. Following in Crucible tradition, he has added a modernized cultural; retrofit within the score that we hope you will enjoy even as we ask Mr. Feeney’s forgiveness.

Our Fiery Cast & Crew:

PRODUCTION
Designed & Directed Michael Sturtz
Choreographer Viktor Kabaniaev
Stage Director Mark Streshinsky
Fight Director Jonathan Rider
Music Director Scott Sterling
Lighting Director Lucas Benjaminh Krech
Costum Design Anna Prisekin
Technical Director Danny Dillon
Rigging Design Karl Gillick

THE PERFORMERS
Dracul Brett Womack
Janet Tina Kay Bohnstedt
Brad Ethan White
Lucy Alyssa Marx
Lady Buffy Van Helsing Sadie Henderson
Dracul’s Henchman Simon Chaban
VampFatales Breonna Noack
Kerri Kresinski
Noel Dellofano
The Bitten Mariko Takahaski
Erika Johnson
Mayo Sugano
Amanda McGovern

The Undead Hunter
Tom Sepe
Jim Pacheco
Amber Dawn Garrett
Tory Fink
Scottie Chapman
Jay Bridgland
Chris Niemer
Nick DiPhillipo

SET CONSTRUCTION
Set Design Benjamin Carpenter
Michael Sturtz
Jo Slota
Kevin McElroy

Fire Effects Danny Dillon
Stage Joey Gottbrath & The Studio Crew
Projection Design Jeremy Knight
Set Painting Scott Hove
Balcony Railing Carla Hall

PROP CONSTRUCTION
Claude The Dragon Gabe Zanotto
Dragon Structural Dann Davis
Fog Machine Nathaniel Taylor
Jonathan Hyman
Fire Fountain Sculpture Michael Sturtz
Justin Gray
Cement Dragons Åke Grunditz
Leslie Frierman Grunditz
Assorted Props David Cole
Kenneth Gilliland
Nick DiPhillipo

THE CREW
Stage Management Jay Kravitz
Cue Master Morgan Deveux Robinson
Technical Assistant Kevin McElroy
Light/Sound Engineering reFRACTion
Fire Safety Captains Michael Curry
Christopher CTP Palmer
Neal Taikeff

Forklift Operator Gary Wilson
Assistant Stage Managers Will Chase
Leslee Savvy
ZsuZsu Listro
Cate Boadway
Assistant Costume Coord. Megan Murray
Make-up Shamika Baker
Vamps Hair Barbarella Beauty Lounge in Berkeley

HOUSE PRODUCTION
Event & House Coordinator Sean Orlando
Production Assistant Chjundu Okonmah
Usher Manager Julie Allan
Front Door Manager Kathleen Fernald
Box Office Manager Monica Tse
Bar Manager Denise Taylor
Security Coordinator Carla Hall
Security Managers Ismael Plasencia
Ric Boelkins
Charles Cantero

Security/Radio Manager Heather Katz
Volunteer Coordinator Daniel Stauber

GALA PERFORMANCES
Aerial Ring Performance Scarlett & Axelrod
Music The Seth Ford-Young Jazz
Manouche Quartet

Claude the Dragon with his creator Gabe Zanotto. It took three people to operate Claude. Gabe worked in the belly of the beast to control the head and jaws; Gary Wilson worked the fork lift to raise Claude on and off the stage; and one fire effects person operated Claude’s fiery breath.


Sadie Henderson (Lady Buffy Van Helsing) and our Fight Director, Jonathan Rider, work on choreography for one of Buffy’s staking scenes.

VampFatales, Kerri Kresinski and Noel Dellofano, rehearse one of their sexy aerial scenes.