If you were expecting the Sacramento State version of the play Dracula to befilled with blood, gore, and sexuality, you will be in for a surprise.

Robin Henson,director of Dracula, who is using the script as his master’sthesis project, says students should see this presentation of Draculabecause it’s not what they are going to expect.

“It’s the same Dracula story, but it’s not the same Dracula story. Itchallenges, it offends, and I would say that it is funny too.”

“The theme is we are human, we are compelled to do what we do and if we trynot to do it, we are going to do it anyway,” Henson said.

This version of Dracula is based on the book by Bram Stoker and has beenadapted by Mac Wellman. Wellman has taken the script apart and created itinto a theme that explores how we want to behave conflicting with the kindsof behavior we permit ourselves.

Jonathan Harker (Jeffery Lloyd Heatherly) does an outstanding job when hegoes crazy and is committed to an insane asylum near London. Harker becomesso infatuated with serving Dracula that he can’t even remember his ownwife’s name. Harker’s wife, Mina (Amber Lee) turns to liquor to make herforget that her poor husband is not in his right mind.

With a few props of just a half-cut barrel and an umbrella, Harker’smumbling and concentration on irrelevant things make him an amusingcharacter.

Other added touches of comicalness are the three vampirette’s (TylerCompton, Tracy Hansen and Jessica Moss), who frolic about in various andoutrageous costumes and contribute to the idea that vampires are withoutinhibitions and have no worries at all.

The vampirette’s slightly offensive costumes and behavior may not beappropriate for young children, however the clever puppet Nun (PatrickThrasher) and the cackling Puppet Old Woman (Lacey Gardner) will probably besuitable and reach adolescence ages 13 and above.

Dracula (P Joshua Laskey) is more of a European aristocrat (as opposed toStoker’s version of a foul, thin creature, with long fingernails andglowing, red eyes).

He portrays the ego of the vampire, with his frustrating long cape thatmakes him furious when it gets in the way. He is more a watcher than aleader, as he observes with his own repulsive pleasure as vampirism takesover the cast.

Probably the favorite character in the play is not Dracula, but LucyWestenra (Yolanda Moreno). Westenra’s wide, charming eyes, alluring curlyhair, and dramatic Victorian speech make her the desire of every man in theplay, and her good/evil spirit comes alive making the play not onlycharming, but unusually evil.

This different take on Dracula makes for an unexpected ending, however, it’shard to see where the play ends and where it begins.The exceptional acting and interesting dissimilarity between the well-knownDracula and this play leaves the audience with a mystified reflection oftheir own concealed feelings and desires.

“I hope audiences enjoy the creativity, the skill and the weirdness withwhich the designers have produced the technical elements of thisproduction,” Henson said.

Dracula is presented by the Department of Theatre and Dance, and willcontinue in the Playwrights’ Theatre May 10-13.For further information, call (916) 278-4323.