Ballet Theatre of Indiana turns to classic

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Stirling Matheson, as “Dracula,” with dancer Cheyanne Elam. (Photo by Mark Abarca)

Ballet Theatre of Indiana co-founder Stirling Matheson has found a new Halloween theme for his company to sink its teeth into this fall.

“At the beginning of our second season, we did an Edgar Allen Poe show and we got a great response to that and we got our first sellout,” Matheson said. “We enjoyed it a lot, so we kept going. Last year we did ‘Myths and Monsters.’”

This year Matheson has turned to Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” The Carmel-based ballet company, which was founded in 2014, will present “Dracula” Oct. 27 to 29 at the Basile Theatre at the Athenaeum in Indianapolis.

“It’s an all new production and it’s quite a production,” Matheson said. “Just the production aspect of it is the most ambitious thing we’ve done, for sure. There are a number of different scenes and more drops (painted backdrops) than we’ve had in the Athenaeum before. I’ve made three squibs that are remote-activated, compressed devices that shoot fake blood out of a performer. Those are home-made. Costumes were a significant challenge for this show.”

Audrey Robson, a company member and BTI public relations and marketing director, said it’s the favorite thing the company has done.

“It covers a lot of ground artistically and melds both classical and contemporary ballet,” Robson said. “I think most people picture fairies and pink tutus when they think of ballet, but we’re presenting ballet through a new and somewhat terrifying lens. We’ll incorporate stage combat, fake blood and squibs. We’re using the music of Philip Feeney, which really brings out the drama, even incorporating screams into the music.”

Matheson plays the title role of Count Dracula.

“Dracula is more of a looming presence than the lead role,” Matheson said. “It follows the novel closely so it’s really following Jonathan Harker and his party of Dr. John Seward, Dr. (Abraham) Van Helsing and Lucy (Westenra). I’m barely on stage. I just show up to kill somebody and then I disappear. At the end, there is a massive fight.”

Matheson said he often was on stage more out of necessity. Until this year, Cole Companion and Matheson were the company’s only male dancers.

“We’ve been pulled double-duty,” Matheson said. “This year we’ve hired a new dancer named Simon Pawlak, who will play Jonathan Harker. He’s a great dancer. He’s a machine of a man. You can’t stop him. It’s nice to be able to hand off some of these bigger roles to Simon and I can take more of a step back from performing to have more of my mental capacity open to my choreographing and directing the ballet.”

There are 11 women and three men in the ballet.

“As a choreographer, I think it’s my best work,” Matheson said.

Matheson said scenes Companion choreographed are some of his best as well.

“Honestly, I think this is going to be our strongest production,” Matheson said.

Screening set

BTI’s short film project, “Absolution,” which was choreographed by Sarah Farnsley, will have a public screening at Prime 47 Clay Terrace in Carmel from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5. The film is being submitted to film festivals. There will be a silent auction at the event.

What: Ballet Theatre of Indiana’s “Dracula.”

When: 7:30 p.m Oct. 27, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 and 3 p.m. Oct. 29.

Where: Basile Theatre at the Athenaeum, 407 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis.

For more: Visit btindiana.org.


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