Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Graney follows the basic story dominated by Van Helsing (Robert McLean), Lucy (Janelle Villas) and Jonathan (Maurice Demus), all attempting to deal with Count D (played, with some relish, by Breon Arzell) and the creepy Alice Renfield (embraced by Erin Barlow). The garlic bulbs come out on a little forced-perspective jewel-box setting created for the occasion by John Musial."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Let’s just say that Graney’s production begins in fine, more or less faithful style, with just the right mix of manners, menace and mayhem at the home of Dracula. But once it moves to London it lurches into full-blooded madhouse overkill, with liberated women on the far edge of insanity, lunatic doctors and researchers pitched over the precipice, wholesale decapitations and transfusions, cat abuse and more. By the end, Count Dracula seems no more insane or monstrous than anyone else."
Stage and Cinema - Not Recommended
"...No question, the Mercury Theater’s Halloween offering is a bit better than the Bard’s “sound and fury signifying nothing.” It’s too frenetic to be dull, and the characters are too contrasted to be ciphers. But Graney definitely chose to dive off the shallow end of Stoker’s pool. The blood in this water is probably not intended."
Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"... Over the years (in fact 20 years), I have watched the work of Sean Graney and his Hypocrites Theater Company. Most of their work is ultra-exciting and extremely different, creating surprising and deeply engaging theater in its interpretations. Their current production, “Dracula”, now being presented at The Mercury Theater Chicago, that gem of a theater on Southport Avenue, fits the mold, but, for some reason, Graney’s adaptation is played out in two acts with a long intermission, causing the audience to leave the story and once they have, it is hard to get back into."
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...While this play begins with style and strength, Sean Graney's direction of his original version of the vampire myth soon becomes unfocused and messy. There's far too much slapstick, blood and violence for a well-crafted horror story. True dramatic terror comes in slowly building suspense and then suddenly shocking the audience with surprise. This production begins in this way and then goes awry, continually aiming for the jugular. Gore is flung everywhere amid a frenzy of combat. The result is confusing. It doesn't help that the production can't decide if it's a parody, a slasher story, a feminist statement or simply a modern-day retelling of one of the most popular horror novels of all time."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Somewhat Recommended
"...For this “Dracula” to have a future, it needs to be rushed back to the workshop drawing board and revised into a coherent narrative with at least minimally credible characters uttering speakable dialogue. Dracula the man should be a magnetic figure of evil and not just a blowhard. As matters stand now, the Mercury would have been better advised to extend its superb revival of “Hair” instead of clearing the way for this not-ready-for-prime-time disappointment."
