The Dracula Monologues is a set of three monologues by three different actors portraying the captain of the Demeter, the infamous Renfield, and the equally infamous Lucy Westenra. Each monologue recounts moments in the life of the three characters as they fall under the awful presence of Dracula. It was adapted and directed by Bryan Enk.

The three actors are excellent. Their narration is full of life and expression, and they genuinely perform as they are narrating. They aren’t just recounting stories; they are embodying the characters as they do so. The characters and events are true to the source material.

The Dracula Monologues is a minimalist experience. The bulk of it is the face of the actor in a black void. It is occasionally seasoned in various ways. The camera often swaps angles to emphasize important moments and changes in direction. The editing and post-production effects follow suit, and there is even a little bit of blood. Even in black and white the blood would never convince anyone of its authenticity, but it’s bold of them to use it. The star of the whole thing is the audio. The sound effects are crisp, the music suits the mood, and the volume of the audio is dynamic. For example, there’s a moment when the sound of the ocean competes with the dialogue of the captain, mimicking reality. Most narrators would probably be fearful of noise and background audio drowning them out, but I appreciate what they did.

If I was a casting director I would be very impressed, but there is more to this than just the performances. The Dracula Monologues presents a question, “Is a narration enhanced by having the face of the narrator present?” My answer to this is yes, but not nearly enough. Regardless of whether or not there is a face, the bulk of what’s happening is left up to the imagination. The faces of the narrators compete with the minds of their audience, and in the competition for my attention, the faces lost. If I had listened to it instead, it wouldn’t have changed my overall experience. Honestly, listening to it is probably the way to go because you can squeeze it in while doing something else and get a very similar experience. Could they have ever won the battle against my imagination? I think so. When I think of great comedic monologues, like something Christopher Titus would narrate, it’s always a better experience when I can see him than when I am listening to him. I think these monologues were too minimalist for me. Perhaps if they zoomed out from the faces of the narrators more often and gave them more opportunities to use their entire bodies to express their characters, they’d have a much likelier chance of coaxing me from my imagination and giving them the attention they deserve.

6 out of 10