Correction appended

Many people have developed a campy image of Dracula or instead envision his iconic chocolate counterpart on a cereal box, but No Refund Theatre is working against these preconceptions in its next play.

Ryan Bergman (senior-film), the director for Dracula, said the cast is focusing on the fear and terror inherent in the original story for this production.

Dracula will show tonight, Friday and Saturday in 111 Forum Building.

"There are very few horror plays," Bergman said. "There are plenty of dramas and comedies with suspenseful moments, but they don't try to scare you."

To ensure the fright factor of the play, Bergman has gone to great lengths to make it a much more real experience for the audience, he said.

The crew made the set intimidating, and the music and sound effects will also add to the aura of horror, Mark Celeste (senior-English) said.

A good soundtrack is necessary for setting an "ambient, creepy" mood for the play, he added.

"If you put a horror movie on mute, it's sort of comical," he said.

Because the story of Dracula is so well known, the actors must avoid being melodramatic so as not to make the story "campy or gaudy," Bergman said.

Alex Shields (senior-biology), who will be playing the part of Dracula, said he is already comfortable playing the character.

"I feel as though I just have this innate ability to be creepy," he said.

Shields said it is easier to get into character when wearing costume pieces. He will sport a pair of fangs molded to fit perfectly over his teeth, as well as Dracula's famous cape.

Shields adopted an Eastern European accent to help with the part the entire week before auditions, Ariel Rosshert (senior-theatre) said.

Rosshert, who plays one of Dracula's vixens, said she has had a lot of fun playing out the terror of her part. She has always been afraid of vampires and has been unable to read or watch anything involving them until now.

"We're more of a presence than actual characters," she said. "We heighten the fear in certain scenes, both for the audience and the other characters."

During rehearsal last week, multiple tasks were carried out simultaneously. While some cast members put together a special coffin for Shields, others were busy sewing together the parts of a straitjacket for the part of Renfield.

Renfield, a lunatic driven mad by Dracula, will be played by Anthony Arbaiza (junior-information sciences and technology).

"It gives me a real chance to put myself physically into a role and prove I'm 100 percent insane," Arbaiza said.

Renfield's antics, including coughing up sparrow feathers and drinking rats' blood, will shock the audience and add to the terror of the play, he said.

"It's got a lot of twists and turns that the audience will just have to come to the show to see," Bergman said.

Correction: This article incorrectly stated the name of a student who played one of Dracula's vixens. The correct name is Ariela Rossberg.