DRACULA
LIVE, WELL, UNDEAD ON STAGE!

Fridays and Saturdays, October 1, 2, 8 and 9, 2021 @ 7:30 PM

Sunday, October 10, 2021 @ 3:00 PM

​

at The Jersey Shore Arts Center

66 Main Avenue, at the entrance to Ocean Grove, NJ

​

​

Who’s Who in the Production of Dracula

 

RAY DADEMO (Count Dracula) is happy to return to NENAproductions, having previously appeared in Road Show (Addison Mizner), A New Brain (Gordon Schwinn), Assassins (Charles Guiteau), and a staged reading of The Reindeer Monologues.  A lifelong disciple of Angela Flynn-Knox and the Barn at Thompson Park, his favorite roles include Oscar in Sweet Charity, Hysterium in Forum, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, and Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner. 

 

SEAN DICKINSON (Jonathan Harker) is grateful to be back on stage with NENA. Past credits include Disney's Newsies (Davey), Grand Hotel (Kringelein), Peter & the Starcatcher (Prentiss, Peter), and Road Show (Hollis). Infinite thanks and love to this incredible cast and creative team. This is counting blessings. 

 

TOM DRUMMER (Dr. Seward) is excited to work with NENA for the first time and be part of live theater again. Tom was last in Holmes for the Holidays at Somerset Valleys Players. Recently he appeared in New York in Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams, directed by Austin Pendleton, and in the hit Off-Broadway production of The Mutilated, also by Williams. Both of these were featured at the world-renowned Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival. Closer to home, Tom played Grumio in Chatham Players’ The Taming of the Shrew, and appeared in several original plays by Ben Clawson with StrangeDog Theatre.

 

SAMANTHA MAIDLOW (Renfield) is so thrilled to be back home on the NENA stage and working with such a talented, fun cast. Sam's past favorite roles include Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher, Alison in Fun Home, and Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream. As always, Sam is beyond thankful to her wife, Justine, for her endless love and support. 

 

EMILY MANGIAVILLANO (Miss Wells) is so grateful to be making her NENA debut with the company of Dracula!  She was recently at First Avenue Playhouse for her first live performance post pandemic! Over the last year, you may have seen her in Center Players’ live Zoom performance of Agnes of God. Thank you for all the support! 

 

NICK MONTESANO (Director/Designer) starred as Professor Van Helsing in this version of Dracula exactly fifty years ago as a senior in high school. The appeal of this piece still thrills him.  Nick has produced, directed, choreographed and designed for NENA including productions of Road Show, Fun Home, Avenue Q, Rent, Assassins, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Batboy, and several more. Nick has been inducted into the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters Hall of Fame for his career in theater.  Come join us in November as we celebrate the return of community theater as we participate in the global theatrical event: ALL TOGETER NOW! As always, Today 4 U, Liza.

 

ANTHONY PREUSTER (Butterworth) returns to NENAproductions after a busy season of summer theatre, having played William Barfee in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Moonface Martin in Anything Goes, and Rudolph in Hello Dolly. Other favorite roles in plays include Max in Lend Me A Tenor and Mr. Dussell in The Diary of Anne Frank.  Anthony is especially excited to be reunited on stage with one of his dearest friends of over 15 years - the Count, himself. 

 

AMY CARR SKALECKI (Professor Van Helsing) is beyond thrilled to be gender-bending the role of Van Helsing! She was last seen on this stage as Mother Superior in Nunsense. Past roles she got to sink her teeth into include Grandma in The Addams Family, The Witch in Into The Woods and Anita in West Side Story. Amy would like to thank the production team for their faith and support and Jeff, Maggie and Stan for being her muses.

 

 

 

NENAproductions Theater Project is proud to return live theater to the Jersey Shore Arts Center with its fall production of DRACULA, a campy, creepy show based on the classic novel by Bram Stoker. Nick Montesano will direct the production which runs Fridays and Saturdays, October 1 through 9 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, October 10 at 3:00 PM. 

 

NENAproductions performing live has been shut down for the last 20 months due to COVID. All audience members will be asked to abide by the Jersey Arts Center guidelines for attendance at the theater.

 

DRACULA, dramatized by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, was written in 1924 and starred Bela Lagosi in the title role. Lagosi went on to bring his Dracula to the screen in his most memorable role. The same version of the play starred Frank Langella on Broadway with an iconic set design by Edward Gorey in the 1970s.

 

Ray Dademo, a veteran of NENA, returns to the Arts Center stage in the title role of Dracula with Amy Skalecki starring in a gender bending turn as Professor Van Helsing, the vampire hunter. New to NENA, Tom Drummer will be seen as Dr. Seward.

 

Rounding out the cast are Sean Dickinson as the jittery lover, Jonathan Harker, Maggie Blaise as Lucy, the object of Dracula’s blood lust, and Samantha Maidlow as Renfield, Seward’s wildly crazed patient. Anthony Preuster and Emily Mangiavillano are the ‘downstairs’ servants in the Seward household.

​

All performances take place at The Jersey Shore Arts Center, 66 Main Avenue, at the entrance to Ocean Grove, NJ. $25 general admission tickets for Dracula are available online at ticketleap.com or in person at the door. The safety of our patrons and our staff is our number one priority. As such, a full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results will be required to attend DRACULA. For patrons who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 72 hours (3 days) of first attending.

 

For more information visit www.nenaproductions.org or contact NENA at nenaproductionstheaterproject@gmail.com.