Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. (Photo courtesy Orlando Shakes)
Get ready for spooky season’s frights and fun with a fresh take on “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” through Nov. 8 at Orlando Shakes.
The 90-minute show breaks stereotypes and tells us to “expect the unexpected,” using gender-bending to enhance the story — fitting perfectly with the theme of vampires.
“A little-known fact: I love Dracula,” Fredy Ruiz, the vampire with shining fangs himself, says. “He’s my favorite classic monster. He’s this omnipresent character that is so iconic.”
“We love the lore of vampires, right? We’ve grown up on it. It’s been around for decades, but these characters are so campy and over the top,” Ruiz continues. “We’re able to make social commentary that I think is easy to obtain the information. I think sometimes audiences get so in the thick of it all, and comedy lends itself to being silly and fun and still makes some sort of social commentary, even in a gender-bending kind of way.”
Ruiz is no stranger to the gothic archetype, having played classic characters such as Gomez Addams and Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Ruiz differs from the rest of his cast, as he is the only member of “Dracula: A Comedy of Horrors” who plays only one character, so creating his own personal version of Dracula is vital.
“I pull a lot of inspiration from both of those characters. Frank-N-Furter is this mysterious, queer icon, and Dracula is a queer icon. No one can convince me otherwise,” Ruiz shares. “They kind of inspire me to be a little more free and big and bold. And I think that’s what this production is, ultimately, a big, bold, fun time. It does have that inspiration of gothic horror, but ultimately, we’re here to have a good time.”
Inspired by the humor of Monty Python and Mel Brooks, “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” takes the fear out of one of the most well-known monsters and turns him into something much more relatable to audiences.
“We’re just having a fun time. I mean, it’s four actors playing multiple roles and myself, but they do it so well,” Ruiz says. “There are times when the same character that the one actor plays is in the same scene, so they’re flipping back and forth, either with a physical comedy change or a hat or a prop, and it’s so funny to watch.”
Although Dracula, and vampires in general, are figures that are historically to be feared, modern-day media has brought a more humorous and almost humane side of them. Media such as “Interview with the Vampire” (2022), “Nosferatu” (2024) and even “Sinners” (2025) have taken the creatures of the night and shown the more personal side of the monsters, and “Dracula: A Comedy of Horrors” is definitely showing that.
“I find that people are always so afraid of what they don’t know, right? So it is easy to make monsters funny or a little outlandish because they are not of our traditions or our culture,” Ruiz says. “People love what they don’t understand. It’s so easy to have something like that and have a lot of comedy, because it’s silly, it’s fun, and it feels like it’s too far removed that they’re like, ‘Oh, this is hilarious.’”
The original play was produced in 2019, debuting at the Maltz Jupiter Theater, before a run off-Broadway in Sept. 2023. Although the show is only happening a few years after the originals, the team has made sure to modernize jokes to keep the show entertaining and up-to-date.
“We’re playing with the idea of some jokes being modernized because even a joke from three or four years ago, when this play was produced, those jokes are different,” Ruiz says. “Luckily, we have three out of the five cast members, Regina, Kelly and Paul, who’ve done the play previously. So they’ve had time to marinate and know a little bit more about those jokes and to play with different ideas.”
“Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” comes just in time for the Halloween season. Even if you’re not an avid vampire fan, this show is definitely a way to get in the spooky season mood using not only the show, but immersive experiences for guests as well.
The 90-minute show transports guests to the terrifying Transylvania alongside a real estate agent and a famous vampire hunter as the two explore their relationship with the infamous Dracula. As our real estate agent works to help Dracula in his search for a new home, the vampire hunter works to track Dracula throughout the British countryside, to London, and all the way back to the beginning.
The banter between characters and goofy antics, mixed with gender-bending characters, take the spooky, gothic story and give it a humorously haunted feeling. It redefines the themes and characteristics of the most widely known vampire and turns him from a frightening monster into a goofy, campy vampire.
Even though the stage is only filled with five actors, each one brings their characters to the next level with humor, quick changes and props.
“There’s sexual innuendos, gender-bending, comic violence; we are giving you Dracula. Gothic, but this is good for people who love Halloween season,” Ruiz says. “There’s going to be an immersive bar, which is really cool, kind of like a speakeasy feel. The venue is going to have a lot of photo ops, but it’s just a good time, truly; that is what to expect. And expect the unexpected because we are throwing everything at the wall.”
See “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” at Orlando Shakes though Nov. 8. For tickets and more information, visit DraculaComedy.com.
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