The Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts has brought theater and other arts to Castro Street since its dedication in January 1991, according to the center’s history. This fall, it is hosting TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of Steven Dietz’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, scheduled through November 1, according to TheatreWorks.
The production makes theatrical illusion part of its approach to the supernatural. Palo Alto Online reports that illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer worked with director Giovanna Sardelli and the production team; Sardelli previously worked as a magician’s assistant in Las Vegas. The report describes Steinmeyer’s work for stage and magic, including the Statue of Liberty disappearance created for David Copperfield’s 1984 television special. These are credentials and reported production details, not confirmation of the specific methods used in each effect.
Illusion has a long history onstage, though there is no indication that this production uses any particular historical device. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis says the Pepper’s Ghost optical illusion has been used in theater for more than 150 years. That offers background on stage illusion generally; it does not identify a technique in TheatreWorks’ show.
TheatreWorks’ audience notices flag fog and smoke, loud sounds, bright or flashing lights, an onstage depiction of death and extensive blood. The company describes the production as a gothic thriller. Its listed principal cast includes Scott Coopwood as Dracula, Maria Marquis as Mina, Adrian Roberts as Van Helsing and Max Tachis as Renfield. The venue is at 500 Castro St.; Palo Alto Online reports ticket prices of $34 to $115.
Other productions show how Stoker’s story can take different stage forms, without establishing a broader trend. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre listed Michael Pink’s ballet adaptation at the Benedum Center for October 31 through November 2, 2025. Separately, Michael Cassel Group says a Dracula production at London’s Noël Coward Theatre ended its run on May 31, 2026. Those examples differ in format and place from TheatreWorks’ Mountain View staging; they provide context, not evidence that Dracula productions are becoming more frequent.
