“The source material has lots of inherent challenges - people turn into bats and wolves! It’s been done a million ways already! Everybody already knows the basic beats of the story! - and also is quite, ahm, misogynistic and xenophobic. So as a feminist playwright, I thought it was a really interesting challenge to take on, particularly in reclaiming a classic narrative and finding new avenues and meaning. And it also seemed… fun? I mean, people turn into bats and wolves! People suck other people’s blood! It’s got a lot of opportunities for fun as well as horror, and that was interesting to me.”
—Kate Hamill in an interview with Portland Center Stage
Differences between Hamill’s adaptation and the original novel:
In Kate Hamill's adaptation of Dracula, traditional roles are reversed: Jonathan is bitten by Dracula instead of Mina, who is protected by Van Helsing. Mina remains heroic even when depicted as pregnant, challenging Victorian notions of motherhood. The play uses humor to address contemporary social issues, flipping Victorian tropes of passive women and asking audience members to consider who the real monsters are. The piece critiques patriarchy and resonates with the #MeToo era. Hamill's version gives female characters more agency, portraying Dracula as a symbol of patriarchal oppression, and highlighting Mina's strength and independence. The adaptation deconstructs male heroism offering a nuanced take on female sexuality and autonomy.
Kate Hamill in Dracula at the Classic Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus
Kate Hamill
Kate Hamill is an award-winning NYC-based actor/playwright. She is passionate about creating new feminist, female-centered classics, both in new plays and in adaptations, with a focus on complex women in both original plays and adaptations.
In 2017, Hamill was named Playwright of the Year by The Wall Street Journal , and from then until now she has been among the top 10 most-produced playwrights in the U.S. She wrote two of the top 10 most-produced plays in the U.S. in both 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. Her notable past works include Sense and Sensibility (Off -Broadway Alliance Award winner), Vanity Fair , Pride and Prejudice , and Emma (BroadwayWorld awards for best play and new play). Hamill is also a screenwriter and has a feature film in development.