Several up-and-coming young actors will bring two classic horror tales to life in the Emma Kelly Theater just in time for Halloween.
"Dracula Jr." and "Frankenstein Jr." are condensed one-act dramas of the original stories and are being performed by members of the Statesboro Youth Theater and directed by Statesboro High School drama teacher Eddie Frazier on Oct. 28-30.
Based on the book by Bram Stoker and adapted by Christopher P Nichols, "Dracula Jr." tells the story of the romantic monster from the Carpathian Mountains. The action is continuous and the excitement is nonstop after the entrance of Abraham Van Helsing (Statesboro High School freshman Dearing James). The old professor has come to the aid of his friend and student, Dr. Arthur Seward (SHS senior Hayden Hughes), at Whitby Asylum in England.
Mina Murray (SHS senior Liv Macy) is suffering from a mysterious ailment which threatens to postpone her marriage to Jonathan Harker (SHS senior Jaden McGahee). Very soon the unholy vampire (Southeast Bulloch freshman Thom Mortimore) joins them, and he is most serious about his plans for Mina.
Rounding out the local cast is SHS junior Skylar Berry (Snelling) and Statesboro STEAM recent graduate Jonah Franklin (Renfield).
Murder, mayhem and the macabre are the main ingredients of the one-act version of "Frankenstein Jr." by John Mattera and Stephen Barrows. Unlike other versions of the famous thriller, this one catches the essence of Mary Shelley's classic and builds to a climax with an unexpected twist.
On the surface, the ill-fated creature (Franklin) is to blame for the chain of grisly deaths, while Victor Frankenstein (James) and Henry Clerval (Screven County freshman Aidan Sowell) are old, dear friends. But underneath...ah, that's where the mystery lies. Victor Frankenstein is a man so deeply entangled with his scientific discoveries that he is blind to all else!
Rounding out the cast is Berry (Officer Krepps), SEB freshman Hannah Kimball (Rebecca Neval), SHS junior Mackenzie Harvey (Inspector Erickson) and homeschooled fourth-grader Lola Schwarz (Telegram Boy).
Sponsored by Georgia Power, the Wednesday and Thursday performances are slated for 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for Averitt members, first responders, members of the military and city of Statesboro employees.
On Friday, the Averitt Center is partnering with the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority and over 20 downtown businesses to help provide a socially-distanced Downtown Statesboro Trick-or-Treat from 4-6 p.m. Patrons can purchase $5 admission tickets if they come dressed in their favorite costume (show starts at 6:30 p.m.). They will also receive a bag of Halloween goodies.