Meet The Playwright: David MacDowell Blue

David MacDowell Blue

GK moderates We The Infected, dedicated one of the most exciting vampire novels in years, Let The Right One In by Jan Alvide Lindqvist. A few months ago he interviewed the writer of this play about Carmilla and all sorts of things related to same:

You’ve had a long career in theater and a long love for this story – Carmilla. What caused you to write this play now? Was there some tipping point? Has this been something you’ve been working on – at least in your head – for a long while?
In a way, I’ve been trying to write this for over two decades! Or more! My first meager attempts at writing a play version go back to the late 1980s. But within the last five years I’ve rediscovered live theater in a big way by starting to review performances for my blog. And at the same time I’ve been writing more often than in years and years. With the upsurge of interest in vampire stories, just seemed inevitable I’d start work on a play version once more–but this time with less baggage, more skill and insight. Comes with age, I suppose. And tears. For example, when I first started writing Carmilla back in the 1980s I’d never lost anyone to death. Since then, I’ve lost both parents and a woman I loved. That tempers you, like a blade.

The play has an intriguing presentation in that the central character, Laura, is on stage in, well, two time periods at the same moment. I’m not sure of how to explain that or what the theatrical term for it might be. How did you come upon this – is this something you’ve seen done elsewhere – and do you see any risks for this will might come off?
Actually, I felt more-or-less inspired by Peter Shaffer and his his plays Equus and Amadeus, both of which do something similar. Quite simply, a character tells what happened, and events are acted out on stage to demonstrate. The added factor in my play is that the narrator (Laura) speaks to a specific other character (Captain Martin) with an agenda of his own. We see what happens, but we also see what Laura says happens–they don’t always match up. And we see Captain Martin’s reaction to same. When think about this kind of “flashback” isn’t so odd. Look at the Mrs. Lovett telling Sweeney Todd what became of his wife! Or for that matter Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. But having the narrator as part of events, that comes from Shaffer.

 How do you find the process of launching into a play, as a producer? You are the author here, as well, so that must play into it. Is it all-consuming, keep you up nights – or have you a means for keeping it from running you life for the next months?
Ha! The fact is, preparing everything proved more thought- and time-consuming so far. What helps most of all is that I’ve got help in a handful of folks aiding me, and the fact I spent so much time in preparation. Especially the last! In fact, I’d say that was key to any success we achieve!

Do you have a solid idea of what you want to do for sets, props, layout and lighting – or is this something that evolves as the play moves from the drawing board, through rehearsals and meetings and eventually to opening night?
Generally yes, but it will evolve. Always does. For example, we only recently decided that to highlight the historical background of events–Austria joining the Reich on the eve of WW2–to pretty much keep to the colors of the Nazi flag. Shades of black and white mostly, with specific dashes of bright blood red. Someone involved in the production wanted to somehow highlight that aspect of it.

And, of course I have to ask, is there any chance of you making an appearance on stage for Carmilla?
Only if something goes terribly wrong and I have to fill in one of the parts!

Costume Art Examples!

Carmilla is vastly fortunate to have as a costumer Katie Jorgenson. She very kindly shared some of her artwork regarding her designs.

First, the lead, Carmilla’s love interest and victim:

For Laura I figure that her access to clothing and fashion would be somewhat limited so I based her look on late 1930’s sewing patterns that were widely available and figure that she and Madame Peradon would probably be making a  lot of their own clothing. The fabric is a warm grey with a very subtle floral Jacquard weave, and the contrasting fabric is a cream color with a woven floral motif.

And then the mysterious woman who claims to be Carmilla’s mother:

For the Countess I found this really interesting metallic deep red printed fabric that looks almost black in certain light and then light red from other angles and is reversible to grey/black on the other side (which I used for the belt). It has a subtle floral/rose print to it that I thought would give her a sort of gypsy feel to her. I found a lot of images with women wearing fur stoles around their necks and I figured this would be an easy way to accessorize her and glam her up a little. (And I could make a faux one) Crazy hats were also prevalent so I thought a velvet black hat with some black netting would give her looks some added drama.

Finally, the title character:

So for Carmilla‘s daytime look I based it off of a late 1930’s dress that I found online but changed it to a deep red velvet. I thought it would be interesting if she wore all of the colors of the nazi flag between her two costumes.

Meet The Director: Mark Hein

Mark Hein recently starred in Its A Wonderful Life for Christmas. Before that he’s performed many times at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre as well as many other venues. He is co-director of Carmilla!

How did you come to be involved in Carmilla?
I stumbled on LeFanu’s story 20 years ago.  I loved the wicked genius of not only having a woman vampire, but having her seduce women.  I eagerly saw several of the movies made from it, but was always disappointed.  David was the first person I’d met who knew the novella, and when he said he was adapting it for the stage, I was intrigued.  At the table reading, it was clear he’d created a play at least as powerful as the original — so I was in for the ride.

What is your interest in vampires, lesbians and/or lesbian vampires?
Of course, as a youth I saw and loved the 1931 Dracula, and enjoyed vampire films when I could.  But back then, they were either at drive-ins or on late night TV — no VHS, DVD, or internet.  (And  no cons, cosplay or fandom.)  Decades later, a grad school prof asked which mythic figures had a presence in our lives, and I was stunned — for me, it was vampires. Largely because two lifelong friends had become major vampire novelists.  So I decided to research them … and found Carmilla.

As for lesbians?  Spending my first adult life as a teacher and therapist, I came to appreciate that people who grow up LGBT have fought and won their way into life.  So I’ve done whatever I could to be supportive, personally and publicly.  As an artist (in my second adult life), my passion is bringing to light what has been hidden or ignored, devalued or made taboo.
Lesbian vampires?  Two for the price of one!

Describe how you approach directing a play?
I’ve learned that imagining the play — the lighting and costumes, the set, the blocking — is the easy part.  The hard part is inviting people to become vulnerable and go deep, to find human truth and embody it — and then holding a safe place for everyone to do this dangerous and delicate work together.
I’ve also learned that a play grows constantly.  From the writer’s first envisioning, through the director’s re-imagining, then the actors’ and crew’s re-conceiving and presenting it, and lastly to the audience, who are the final authors.  As you hand it forward, you hope it will become something more than you imagined.  So I share my vision not as The Text, but trusting the company to find something — many things — that I couldn’t.

Are there any particular challenges you see in directing this play?
Oh, yes.  It’s always a delightful challenge to have such an elegantly crafted script.  You want to do justice to all its subtleties — the rhythms, the echoing themes, the beauty of the language — but you also want to sustain the tension and forward drive of the story, and its increasing horror.  In addition, David has followed LeFanu’s lead in creating a tale of extreme ambiguity.  Each character has a different point of view, and holds it passionately.  And there is no definitive reality for us to judge by  — not even our own.  So we’ll be working constantly at keeping each point of view as real and convincing as all the others, even when they flatly contradict.

Care to offer any thoughts on the cast?
Gratitude, and trust.
As David has said, we were “gobsmacked” at the amazing array of talents we were offered in auditions.  It was a huge privilege (and almost a curse) to be given such lovely, difficult choices to make.
At the first read-through, they did it to us again.  This is simply a splendid cast.
I feel like a conductor asked to lead the LA Philharmonic.  I’m thrilled — almost terrified — but I know they will create marvels.

When audiences finally see Carmilla, what do  you most hope happens?
Well, because it’s a vampire play and a play about ambiguity, I’m hoping they go home debating. Talking over everything, from whether vampires even exist to whether we can ever know such a thing as truth, or even the truth of someone else’s experience. Most of all, though, I hope people feel touched personally by experiencing this play.  I hope it inspires them to feel and wonder about what it is to love, what death might mean, and what makes us human.

Finally–any questions you wished I’d asked? If so, ask the question and give the answer please!
“Do I believe in vampires?”
No and yes.  Do I believe dead people re-animate and drink blood?  No.
But we humans have, in all cultures and times, imagined such figures.  I believe it’s because they embody something important about our experience of ourselves.  Perhaps they carry some of our need for one another, the need we try so hard to hide.

They also seem to say something to us, for us, about whatever lies beneath and beyond the physical world — the super-natural, the meta-physical, the divine.  What exactly?  The best place to look for that is in the mind and heart of each person who comes to Carmilla.

Meet The Cast: Irwin Moskowitz

 

A character often omitted from LeFanu’s story is the peddler, the first to suspect there’s perhaps something odd about Laura’s visitor.

So tell me about yourself. Who is Irwin Moskowitz?

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I spent many Saturday afternoons at the movies.  And I watched every movie I could back in the day when there were only three channels.  Among the many films I watched were the early talkies including Dracula and Frankenstein.  I like to point out that the budget on the original Dracula was so small, it did not include music/soundtrack.  See it today and there’s no music, like Hitchcock’s The Birds.  But I digress.   A movie lover from the get-go, guilty as charged.

At the U. of Pittsburgh,  I majored in Psychology and Theater, getting great “college” theatrical acting experience including playing assorted characters in Spoon River Anthology and other roles both on the main stage at the Stephen Foster Memorial and the black box of its time, the Studio Theater.

I moved to Los Angeles as soon as I graduated from Pitt and hoped to land a big show business gig.  Still waiting for that to happen, I decided to be “practical” and got an MBA from UCLA.  My class had quite a few “artistic” students in the Business School, and we put on a production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.  I got to play Charlie Brown.  Sweet.  I put aside my acting career and worked in Marketing, Brand Identity, Real Estate and Banking.  I sat in the audience for years thinking what I shoulda, coulda and woulda but dinta.

Flash forward to four years ago when I became ill, so I became an extra.   Mostly awful work, to be sure.   I said we were potted plants the production was required to feed.  Real potted plants, unfortunately, got more respect than the extras.  But, I got to work on sets and see how tv shows/movies are made.  Very, very slowly.  Feeling better and with all my extra work (ha!) under my belt, I auditioned for theater productions in LA and got cast.  I had a leading role in A Big Gay North Hollywood Wedding which ran for six months.  Most recently, I played President Harry Truman in Presidential Suite in NOHO.  I love theater work.  It’s tough, yet wonderfully rewarding.   I liken the thrill of going onstage to what a skier must sense when he takes off down the mountain, only more dangerous.

Next up, Carmilla!

I already know the answer, but how did you come to be involved in Carmilla?

Answering an Actor’s Access call for Carmilla, I auditioned for the role of Laura’s father and other characters, including The Peddler.  Carmilla’s story has moved to 1938 Austria prior to the onset of WWII.   To me, The Peddler (“Carlsberg”), represents a minority figure unlikely to survive the war.   He must do what he can to survive in a hostile, cruel environment, yet provides some humor in the melodrama.  I like to paraphrase Stanislavsky…There are no small parts, only small paychecks.

Were you at all familiar with the story before this?

I was not at all familiar with Carmilla or its story line prior to my audition.  I’d seen countless productions of all types involving vampires, but this is my first time actually working in one.

Are you a particular fan of gothic or vampire fiction?

Who doesn’t love vampire and gothic horror stories/films?  I’d seen the early B&W films on the Late Late Show, called Academy Theater in Pittsburgh, during the dark ages.  Also saw the Hammer films of the sixties, with Christoper Lee, for one, in living color.   The vampire renaissance likely started in the Seventies with Anne Rice’s Interview With a Vampire, but the number of films, et. al., about vampires since then are countless.  And now they’re on TV/cable and popular.  If anything can distract most people from their daily lives/grinds, it’s vampires.  What if?  If Only?  Wouldn’t that be_________________________?  Fill in the blank.  Plus, vampires are sexier than most antagonists so they’ve got that going for them, in addition to living forever.  You call that living?  No days, only nights.   Can’t imagine they make a Serta PerfectSleeper to fit a coffin.  You have to imagine your hair looks ok because you can’t see your reflection in a mirror.  And, although most everyone likes garlic, let’s be reasonable.   And who delivers blood when you’re hungry/thirsty?  You have to get your own!  Or have “people” get it for you.  Like assistants.   It’s gotta be a tough life, or whatever.

You’ve made an interesting contribution to the script itself since being cast. Care to tell that story?

Getting cast as The Peddler, I suggested that he have a name.  To my great delight, David Blue chose “Carlsberg” as his character’s name.  Not only does a name enable an actor to create a backstory, this character represents a vast number of individuals preyed upon, tortured and destroyed by people and situations worse than vampires.  Austria in 1938 was unlikely a center of fine art, culture and waltzes, certainly not to people like Carlsberg.

Describe your reactions so far to this production.

It’s exciting to be part of a world premiere production of an original play based upon literature more than a century old.  I’d heard of LaFanu and there have been films/plays based upon his work.  That’s a trip.  So looking forward to it!

Finally, is there any question you wished I’d asked? If so, what is it? And what is your answer?

No.

Meet the Cast: Elyse Ashton

Elyse Ashton portrays The Countess, arguably the single most mysterious character in the entire story. LeFanu created a very unsettling atmosphere, in part by not answering certain questions. One of these remains the identity of the woman who claims to be Carmilla’s mother.

Tell us about yourself. Who is Elyse Ashton?
As an actress, I lean towards the classics and the bizarre. Some of my fondest theatrical experiences have been working on productions with the Grand Guignolers and Classical Theater Lab.Very different approaches and aesthetics!  I’m an old goth and this girl loves to dance! It’s fun to work those elements into performances  Theatrical life chose me, and every time I get discouraged and want to make a change, I am furiously swatted around by fate. My college degree was in French literature, and my studies led me to seek out and to love more literature written in my native tongue! I am a voracious reader and researcher. Languages, poetry and books fascinate me. As a woman… I like to remain a bit of a mystery!

Were you familiar with Carmilla before becoming involved in this project?
I  am a a big fan of Lefanu’s writings and that’s what drew me to audition for this project.  Lefanu’s home in Merrion square is one of the first places I visited in Dublin. Eighteenth and nineteenth century literature is my escapism, my happy place.  I adore faithful film versions–and sometimes even the bad versions— of these books as well.  In the 80’s I saw a crazy version of Uncle Silas starring Peter O’Toole on Masterpiece Theatre and knew I must search out and read Lefanu’s books. I never thought that Carmilla was done properly on screen, so I have developed very high hopes for this stage production after reading the excellent script.

So what do you think about vampires? Any favorites?

Oh…yes! Since the notion of vampires evolved into the more romantic, well mannered, rake and less the decaying, dirty, stinky versions of the myth over the last two centuries, there have been some lovely vampire characters that send me swooning. I have to go with Tim Power’s The Stress of Her Regard as one of my favorite vampire stories, because he includes some of my beloved romantic poets and even weaves in Lamia by John Keats.  Baudelaire’s The Revenant  is among the poems I recite  before every stage performance.
How are you approaching your role as The Countess?
There isn’t much in the original text, so I am letting my imagination run amok. I like to do a very thorough background. She must have qualities that Carmilla values:  loyalty, seductive charm and the noblesse which allows her to interact credibly with the sort of people with whom Carmilla wishes to make her temporary home.  Perhaps she was an aristocrat without the money to continue her way of life.  The setting of the play, between the wars, makes that a logical back story. She must have been left quite on her own, possibly losing her family in the Great War.  She also has to be a creditable actress.
In the original story, The Countess’ identity remains a total unknown. She claims to be Carmilla’s mother. But what is she? A vampire? A ghost? Some kind of witch allied with vampires? Do you have a theory? 
I haven’t made all my choices concerning The Countess yet. She isn’t Carmilla’s mother.  Carmilla’s mother is a distant memory and would have held some sort of sway over her daughter, which The Countess lacks. there is a line in the story about how the Countess looks at Carmilla with an emotion that was not affection. No maternal bond.  If she were her Carmilla’s mother, they could both insinuate themselves into households and work their spell.  That would be a totally different story!  There is an element fear, I believe, for the Countess in her dealings with Carmilla.  The Countess is dependent upon Carmilla’s favor.  I have not decided yet on the elements of her relationship with the supernatural.  Her powers do not equal Carmilla’s, and I believe there has to be some hope of gain or benefit attached to the Countess. Of course, one meeting with the director and all these theories could go right out the window!
When the audiences leave the theater, how do you hope they’ll be changed?

I hope they’ll be lured into reading Lefanu and other writers of the period, especially after the unsettling yet glorious dreams which Carmilla  is sure to inspire and then come back and see the show again.

Finally, is there a question I didn’t ask you wish I did? If so, what would the answer be?
Were you born in the wrong time?  On the wrong continent?  Yes.  Absolutely! But I’m sure the ideal gorgeous European centuries of my imagination bear little resemblance to the reality. I treasure my modern human rights, medicine, plumbing and technology…but I still like flounce around in frou-frou dresses and tiaras when given the opportunity.

Meet the Cast: Lara Bond

Lara Bond plays the lead in Carmilla, the young woman telling her tale of what happened when a beautiful visitor came to her father’s home.

First off, tell me about yourself. Who is Lara Bond?
Questions like this always befuddle me. I don’t quite know how to answer them. On paper, Lara is a young woman living in the late part of the 20th century, early part of the 21st century. She is a person of multiple backgrounds, giving her a unique view of the world and it’s people.

Though her passport is American, her hair-Moroccan, she will always be a Berliner.

She enjoys the arts and sciences, and doesn’t really care about much else. She loves animals and people—when they’re being civil.

And how did you come to be involved in this production?
I was cast in a production directed by Vanessa Cate, the actress playing Carmilla. I had seen her work on stage before and was excited to get to work with her. It was Vanessa that invited me to the auditions for Carmilla.

Were you familiar with Carmilla before this?
I remember hearing the title or name of the character over the years, but never read or heard the story. I was excited to find out that it was an inspiration for Dracula.

What do you think of your character, Laura?
I am fascinated by her isolation and calm, deep spirit. Also, her ability to open herself up so willingly to Carmilla, especially when she’s had such few people to connect with. Their relationship is a very mystical one.

Is there a particular challenge in your mind to playing this part?
I am excited to explore the idea of standing in different time periods during the play. How to be in the present time, recounting the past, and then be in that past story experiencing it for the first time. Also, the relationship between Laura and Carmilla is going to be an amazing challenge because it is so layered. It is a bond of friendship and sisterhood and yet has an otherworldly, seductive, deep love in it. There is a sense of these two being entwined by destiny. I think it’s important for the audience to feel this connection and perhaps to feel enwrapped in it with them.

Generally, how do you feel about vampires and vampire stories? Do you have a favorite?
I LOVE vampire stories. Everything about them, including the history of the folklore, the setting in eastern Europe, the idea of the undead, the immortal. All of it is fascinating to me. I’ve been a fan of vampire stories since I was a kid. I religiously listened to a German series of books on tape called The Little Vampire, a story about a young boy who befriends a young vampire boy. Most of my Halloween costumes growing up were vampire costumes, the occasional witch or Wednesday Adams, but vampires were always the trusty go to. Even in college…See below.

I really love the film Interview with a Vampire. I was about 12 when I saw it the first time and while it was gory and I was scared, I though it was so beautiful and really captured what it must feel like to be a vampire. I’m also a big fan of Coppola’s Dracula and Joss Whedon’s Buffy and Angel series.

Basically, I adore vampire lore but I do believe first and foremost the story has to be great. I think I connect more to vampires than other creatures in the horror genre because there is such an element of beauty and mystery to them. They’re not your average undead “monster”… But I guess a hardcore werewolf or zombie fanatic would say the same thing.

How do you want audiences to respond to Laura specifically, and to the production in general?
I want the audience to understand her and to feel her solitude. Even relate to it. The fact that Carmilla is the first person that Laura has gotten this close to, that they have a mysterious bond, I hope will be a journey for them, as it is for Laura. She’s not a victim of her circumstance but is, one could say, chosen.

Finally, is there any question you will I’d asked? And what would your answer be?
If you were given the choice to die or become a vampire, what would you do?  Vampire. Definitely. I’d try to get a job in special effects.

Meet the Cast: Vanessa Cate

Vanessa Cate qualifies as a triple threat. Not only an extremely fine actress, she’s a playwright in her own right as well as a gifted director. And we are very fortunate to have her play the title character.

First off, tell me something about yourself. Who is Vanessa Cate?

I am a California native with a passion for the theater. I work as a writer, director, and actor. I’ve been working mainly at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater, but have also recently started my own theater company ‘True Focus Theater’ and am in the process of planning its first independent production, ‘Cat-Fight’.

What kinds of roles have you played before now?

All types. For awhile I was playing a lot of strong, crazy women. And for the past few years I’ve been doing a lot of horror and a lot of cabaret. I think Carmilla will be a good culmination of aspects from all that.

I already know the answer to this, but how did you come to hear about this production of Carmilla?

The writer approached me with the idea – very enthusiastically, by the way – as he was still writing it. Lesbianism and vampirism are two things I’m into, and hearing that he had me in mind for the title role, well it was flattering at the very least.

How are you approaching the idea of playing a 200-year-old lesbian vampire?

I suppose when you put it like that, I have quite a lot to live up to, haha. Vampires have a lot of power, but they don’t have to flaunt it. And Carmilla tries to blend in with the humans around her as much as possible. Much of it will be nuance. And this ain’t her first rodeo. I think she is used to a lot of what happens around her. She’s seen how people react to her before – it’s almost scripted in a way. But what surprises her is Laura, and as a vampire can feel certain sensations in a heightened way, I think a sense of companionship, mingled with a feeling of desire and even hunger that only a vampire can understand, I think that will be the most challenging and interesting aspect. So the connection with Laura will be my focus. 

For that matter, what do you think of vampires in general–especially as characters on stage or screen?

I adore vampirism, and have always had a fascination. It has influenced me in many ways, from the make up I wore in high school to my writing. Whenever the subject matter is a vampire, I am instantly into it. The idea of a predator that could kill you so utterly, and yet you are drawn to it. That’s sexy. And tragic. Though vampires are entering into a strange period where pale heartthrobs somehow don’t need human blood and fall in love with teenage girls, I think we’ll evolve out of that. 

When the audience leaves after each performance, what do you hope they’ll feel about your character?

I hope to have seduced them. 

Finally, what question would you like me to have asked about this role or your performance or the play in general? And what would be your answer?

I think it was perfect the way it was. Some things have to remain a mystery.

Previous Carmillas: “Blood and Roses”

I have seen every single filmed version of Carmilla with two exceptions–the BBC one from the 1960s (starring Jane Merrow, almost certainly lost) and the French t.v. miniseries from the 1980s (still looking for).

Blood and Roses, directed by Roger Vadim, one would think might prove rather faithful to the original. At least we Americans have that impression of European filmmakers.  In fact it varies quite a bit. One gets the sense–not for the last time–LeFanu’s tale ended up as little more than a partial inspiration for somebody else’s story.

Which doesn’t mean this translated into a bad film! Hardly!

Vadim’s flick to a real extent relies on the vampire’s POV, initially from her grave where she sleeps, waiting for the right series of events for her resurrection. As such she seems to spy voyeur-like upon the modern Karnstein family.  Just like the audience in fact! Of course, that is an English-language addition. The uncut, untampered original contains far more ambiguity, thus matching LeFanu more in tone if not plot.

We meet Leopoldo De Karnstein (the story has been moved to post WW2 Italy), and his cousin Carmilla (a lookalike to reputed vampire ancestress) who moodily watches Leopoldo announce his engagement to her friend Georgia.  We’re also told of the vampire legend, of Mircalla who married her cousin Leopold but died and then seemed to devour every young lady Leopold sought to wed for the rest of his life. Carmilla goes wandering into the family tombs on the grounds of an abandoned monastery or convent. She encounters what seems to be the vampire’s tomb, screams, and emerges from the ruins somehow different. She hovers near Georgia in all kinds of semi-erotic situations, while the latter has an amazing dream about them both. Local girls begin dying suddenly. People begin to fear a vampire! Carmilla herself seems to die falling on a farming machine, but a hint continues that perhaps…just perhaps…her soul has transferred to Georgia. She has her Leopold again.

The biggest praise I can offer this film remains its look and atmosphere, all of which help recreate the odd sense of mystery the novella possesses. Even the famous costume worn by Mel Ferrar as Leopoldo, with its sweeping Renaissance cape and winged bat mask, highlights how tables are being turned. The vampire here is not a dashing Dracula-esque male, but the pretty blonde. He is in a real sense her victim, as she seems to consume the woman he loves. On the other hand, how come he never notices? Likewise, as lovely a presence as Annette Vadim may be, her Georgia comes across as a cookie cutter ingenue. Why should Leopold notice a complete change in her personality, after all? The man doesn’t pay any attention to such things. Was Vadim himself commenting on this, or simply buying into a subtly mysoginistic formula?

Either way, the whole story becomes something different by shifting focus away from the female victim of the vampire and their relationship. Making it about a rivalry for the same man hardly echoes LeFanu’s themes of the feminine versus masculine. Rather it places the Male at center stage, not only as far as power in this world but in terms of value, plot and motivation.

Also, I’m left with wondering why the update? Financially it makes more sense rather than making a costume drama, of course. That seems logical, if unfortunate. Yet I see no justification in the script for moving the story about a century forward — save perhaps to juxtapose our modern rational world with that of a mystical past? That would be cool, and I don’t mind it.

Remember, if you want to help bring a brand new, erotic and disturbing as well as faithful version of Carmilla to the stage, just click on this fundraising link!

Is Carmilla Evil?

from ‘The Blood Spattered Bride‘

A friend of mine recently ranted about a dichotomy in modern vampire fiction. On the one hand we see the Byronic immortal longing to find true love. Then we find the human-shaped sharks with just enough humanity to be cruel. Easy to find examples, really. Look at Edward Cullen from Twilight, Barnabas Collins in all the many incarnations of Dark Shadows, Countess Marya Zeleska in the film Dracula’s Daughter as well as the title character in Varney the Vampyre. Then take a gander at The Lost Boys, at the creatures in 30 Days of Night or From Dusk Till Dawn.

What’s most interesting, though, are those undead characters about whom folks argue. The ones who don’t seem totally one way or the other. At least, not to everyone.

‘Let Me In‘

An obvious recent example–Abby in the motion picture Let Me In. This is the English-language adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s brilliant novel Let The Right One In about an eerie and somehow touching relationship between a misfit little boy and the child vampire who moves next door. The American film starred actress Chloe Grace Moretz as Abby, the vampire.  Reviewers almost immediately drew up into two camps about her character. One saw Abby as a lonely child who hated being alone and found a friend/love/companion in Owen (played by Kody Smitt-McPhee). The other looked at the exact same performance and saw an immensely clever animal, a manipulator of vast skill pressing all the right buttons to recruit a new slave.

(Lindqvist confirms Carmilla inspired his own vampire story, not incidentally.)

Dracula himself has seen the same debate played out. Some insist the Count must only be a vicious predator of great charisma, much as Christopher Lee portrayed him in all those Hammer horror movies. Others prefer a more tragic characterization, far more like Gary Oldman in the Francis Ford Coppola film.

So which do I prefer? More importantly, which choice did I make when writing my own version of Carmilla?

Essentially, both.  One of the problems I have with most versions of the story is how they see Carmilla herself as an unremitting predator and really nothing

Nightmare Classics

much else.  Apart from anything else, that surely makes for the least interesting choice possible. More, I would posit the story itself does not back that up. Consider how Carmilla resists feeding on Laura for nearly a month after she arrives. If you examine the times given, you’ll learn Carmilla did not wait so when targeting Berthe, an earlier victim. More, she even suggests leaving early, before starting to drink Laura’s blood! Seems like a case of mixed feelings to me, between conflicting desires.

Something else to consider–an issue LeFanu brings up in that subtle, intriguing way he has. When Carmilla is not visiting young women to feast upon their blood, where is she? She’s evidently not alone. We know she has an older female companion who says she’s the girl’s mother, complete with coachman who seem unpleasant in a quite visceral manner. The Polish television version actually hints

German play

they might be dead people (a nice touch). Certainly they do not seem very pleasant company.

Might it not make sense Carmilla feels lonely? Might long for some more congenial company with which to spend the centuries?

Frankly, this leads to another question, at least as far as I’m concerned. Compare in your mind’s eye how the visit to Laura’s home might seem to Carmilla as opposed to where she usually spends her time? A beautiful home, with pleasant company, everyone treating her exactly like an ordinary human girl. She can pretend to be alive. Can brush the hair of this girl she evidently finds so very attractive.

Drusilla and Spike

At heart–and I’ve seen this even in the process of collaborative writing–I don’t agree with the premise of “Oh well, she’s a vampire so she must be evil!” For one thing, what a vague concept! What does one mean by evil? I usually get the impression they presume vampirism infects people with sociopathy.  This even makes some kind of sense sometimes, as in The Strain where the entire nervous system restructures itself–or Buffy the Vampire Slayer where the soul leaves the victim to be replaced by a demon. But even then, the most interesting vampires nearly always end up those who retain or regain some aspect of their humanity. Drusilla is still mad, after all. Spike makes for a far more fascinating character than The Master.

So that governed how I wrote the title character. Yes, she’s a vampire. A monster who preys upon other human beings. A predator who must have found some way to emotionally ‘live’ with her means of survival. Certainly capable of great ruthlessness. Yet…also capable of affection, loneliness, regret, even love. I also frankly suspect has a deep melancholy streak that surfaces when the funeral of her victim strays into view.

“Everyone must die! And all are happier when they do!”

That line speaks volumes, or at least it does to me.

Shifting Periods

The research that went into writing The Annotated Carmilla led me to a very specific belief about the time period in which LeFanu’s story takes place. A character mentions a certain Grand Duke, who can only be one historical person, and then Laura talks about visiting Italy from Austria, which narrows it down further. Bottom line–it cannot take place later than 1846.

I set my theatrical adaptation in 1938.

Why?

Excellent question and I’m glad to explain. Begin by considering this–Carmilla had a specific impact, one we can presume the author intended. But that impact is dependent upon the context of his times, circa 1870. A very different time in many ways from our own! One particularly obvious one, at least to even amateur historians like myself, must be how readers react to the setting…

“In Styria…” With those words Laura begins her report of events. And where is Styria? Austria–a nation in the 19th century known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a land without a Parliament or Congress, without trial-by-jury, and held together by a secret police and threats of brutal military suppression. We do not think of Austria that way. Not anymore. Yet if Carmilla is hunted down by forces of a tyranny–as she is in the original–it adds something. A nuance. An ambiguity. Something a little less straightforward.

How to fix this? How to get the same reaction?

Quite simply, there seem two options available. First, shift the locale in place from Austria to a location a modern audience would think of the same way in that era. Germany might well work. Tsarist Russia might work even better! Or not. That does rather depend on the viewers’ knowledge of 19th century history. Or–shift the time period, to within a modern and well-known dictatorship. The makers of the new motion picture Styria did precisely that, setting their version behind the Iron Curtain! I decided on a different tyranny, hence my shifting to the year 1938. The year of the anschluss when Austria became part of the Greater German Reich, and in the process came under the authority of Germany’s dreaded Gestapo.

Other advantages pop up in moving the story forward as well. For example, an audience naturally finds it easier to slip into a story when the clothes, music, furniture etc. feel more recognizable. Consider Lawrence Olivier‘s Richard III against (or along side) Ian McKlellan‘s! Both contain great power, with top-notch casts performing very well. Yet the former feels more antique, a little less accessible, a fact Olivier realized and pulled many a trick to get around. The latter needn’t work so hard, for the simple reason on some level we understand many tiny details better. In Olivier’s film, to give one subtle but pervasive example, the costumes show men as society’s peacocks. They wear the elaborate hats, show off their hosed legs, are seen in splendid colors. Women remain covered virtually head-to-toe, with flirting a profoundly private thing. Not like our time at all! Now look at the McKlellan film, in which women don a elaborate array of outfits, show off some leg, while men garb themselves in business suits, tuxedos or uniforms. We recognize one pattern as that of our world, the other as someplace other.

Translating this to Carmilla, when Colonel Spielsdorf shows up sheathed in the black uniform of Himmler’s SS, that in and of itself tells us much.

More, it allows (or insists, really) the characters to behave in a more open way given the time period, decades closer to what we call “the present.” Any kind of intimate contact or hint of same ended up circumspect in the extreme by our standards, at least in LeFanu’s original text. By putting the story in the era of the radio and phonograph, I found an opportunity for Laura and Carmilla to dance! More, not the constrained minuets of the 19th century but a tango!

Decision about period made, opportunities opened up nicely as well. Remember, a play is not a novella. If one simply copies one to the other it rarely works. The two media remain fundamentally different experiences. Books we read, at our own rhythm and leisure. Plays we see and hear, at the pace and energy set by the production! So I eagerly grabbed the opportunity to let the radio intrude upon Laura and Carmilla, reminding them (and us) of the outside world  tightening its web.

Better yet, it allowed me to give a further context, bringing into sharp relief what remains almost hidden in the book. Laura in the text recounts her story to someone, someone who remains mysterious. This play gives that person a name, a voice, and most importantly an agenda. Someone to ask Laura questions, to doubt her word and motivations, to seek the truth.

And to be deceived by Laura, as we see the difference between what she says and what actually took place.