🧛‍♀️ Looking for something spooky? See ‘Dracula’ at this historic Central Florida theatre

Show runs through Oct. 13 at Athens Theatre

Victoria Rivera plays Mina (left) and Fredy Ruiz plays Dracula (right) in the show "Dracula" at Athens Theatre in DeLand. (Mike Kitaif)

DeLAND, Fla. – Dracula is known to be hundreds of years old, and seeing the show about the vampire in a historic theatre definitely fits the aesthetic.

“Dracula” by Steven Dietz brings Bram Stoker’s timeless novel to life in this theatrical adaptation.

Recommended Videos



The show closely follows the book, where it’s about Count Dracula’s journey to England, how he stalks two young women, and then his eventual defeat.

[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

Fredy Ruiz plays Dracula in the show at Athens Theatre in DeLand.

“Dracula is such an aloof and mysterious entity that I have always been drawn to,” Ruiz said.

Van Helsing (Sarah Rae Jackson) and Dracula (Fredy Ruiz) battle scene in "Dracula." (Mike Kitaif)

He said he has always been a fan of the classic monster movies.

“I relate with him in being misunderstood, while in very different ways, it’s definitely an outlet. I do. It’s also fun to play a little chaos,” he explained.

He said before each show, he gets into character by listening to a Dracula Spotify playlist to get into a spooky mood.

“I think it helps me find ways to make him likable and relatable in the strangest way possible,” Ruiz said.

The show is rated PG-13 for blood, mature content, and sexually suggestive moments.

There will an American Sign Language interpreted performance on Friday, Oct. 4, with a special audio-described performance on Sunday, Oct. 6.

To buy tickets in the section with the best line of sight to the interpreters, you’re asked to contact the box office at 386-736-1500 or email boxoffice@athensdeland.com.

Click here for ticket information.


Check out every episode of Riff On This in the media player below:


About the Author
Brooke Savage headshot

Brooke is a news producer and has been with News 6 since January 2018. She grew up in Coral Springs and graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Before she came back to Central Florida, she worked in Fort Myers.

Loading...