Fall Play
- Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025: 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025: 1 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025: 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025: 2 p.m.
Trunk or Treat
Sunday, Oct. 26: 5:30-7 p.m.
USCHS students present Dracula
Upper St. Clair High School will bring the legendary vampire to life this fall with four performances of “Dracula,” directed by Dr. Steve Torquato. All shows will be held in the USCHS theater:
- Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025: 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025: 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025: 2 p.m.
Pre-sale tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students and can be purchased online at www.usctheater.org beginning Monday, Oct. 6. Starting Thursday, Oct. 23, adult ticket prices increase to $15. Tickets may also be purchased in person one hour before each performance at the box office. Admission is free for Upper St. Clair’s senior citizens with a USC Gold Card, which can be used to reserve tickets online or at the box office.
More than 50 students make up the show’s cast and crew. (View the cast list)
“We are lucky to have such a hardworking and dedicated group of students in the USCHS Theater Department,” Dr. Torquato said. “They put in hundreds of hours bringing these stories from page to stage and they do it with such care and excitement that it makes each rehearsal a pleasure.”
While the fall play is typically a lighter fare, this year’s show selection takes a darker turn.
“I have largely directed and produced comedies,” Dr. Torquato said. “I wanted to provide students a different experience and give them a chance to tackle a dramatic classic, and what better time to do Dracula than ‘Spooky Season!’”
The play also holds sentimental value for Dr. Torquato.
“This particular version of Dracula was a staple in my mentor and director Miss Sandra L. Miller’s drama class, and she always said she wanted to direct it,” he said. “I have loved it ever since.”
The show’s creative team has designed a fully immersive gothic setting for audiences.
“Not only will our production be housed in a beautifully crafted gothic library, but through the use of our eye-catching costumes, lighting and practical effects we hope to transport audiences into the world of Stoker’s creation,” Dr. Torquato said.
While the production is filled with suspense rather than direct horror, some younger patrons may find certain elements unsettling. To make the experience welcoming for all ages, the theater program is also offering a special family event.
“To encourage our younger audience to stay engaged with our theater program, we are excited to offer a Trunk or Treat event,” Dr. Torquato said. “This will give younger students the opportunity to see the characters and tour the sets in a less dramatic environment.”
The Trunk or Treat event will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26 in the USCHS parking lot, adjacent to the Arts Entrance. More than 20 school clubs, teams and community groups will be participating.
Ultimately, Dr. Torquato hopes audiences connect with the play’s deeper themes.
“While many will see ‘Dracula,’ as a classic monster story there are many integral themes to our story, such as the classic fight of good vs. evil, the power of friendship and teamwork, finding forgiveness for one’s enemies, and many more,” Dr. Torquato said. “I hope that audiences will not go home afraid of bumps in the night, but rather with hope and reassurances in the comfort of their community.”
Synopsis:
The immortal Count Dracula has arrived in London —and he is hungry. Cloaked in mystery and aristocratic charm, this enigmatic nobleman takes residence near the home of Dr. Seward, where a series of strange and unsettling events quickly unfold. Shadows move restlessly in the night, wolves prowl and howl in the distant fields, and an air of dread clings to the city. One by one, people fall gravely ill, their strength drained by a force they cannot name. Fear spreads like a mist, and soon it becomes clear that something far darker than disease stalks the living.
But evil never goes unchallenged. When Professor Abraham Van Helsing—a man of science, folklore, and unshakable courage—arrives to investigate, he quickly uncovers the truth: a vampire walks among them. Together with a desperate band of friends, Van Helsing must face the sinister Count before his reign of terror claims more victims. At stake are not only their lives, but their very souls. The battle that follows pits ancient evil against human resilience in a story as thrilling today as it was more than a century ago.
Now, the Upper St. Clair High School Theatre Department invites you to experience Dracula as it was first brought to the stage by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. Premiering in 1927, this electrifying adaptation of Bram Stoker’s groundbreaking novel became a sensation on Broadway, dazzling audiences with its eerie atmosphere and spine-tingling suspense. The play’s success inspired the legendary 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, forever etching the Count’s piercing gaze and unforgettable presence into cinematic history.
This production carries forward that same legacy, immersing audiences in the gothic world that has captivated imaginations for generations. Expect moonlit castles, shadowy crypts, and moments of breathtaking tension, where darkness presses in and every heartbeat echoes louder than the last. Beneath the terror lies a story of loyalty, courage, and the enduring fight between light and darkness.
Dracula is not just a tale of horror—it is a study of human vulnerability and strength, of conquest and sacrifice, of fear and the resilience to face it. As the immortal Count weaves his sinister web, the audience is drawn deeper into a world of dark romance and unshakable suspense.
This Halloween season, do not miss your chance to witness the most famous vampire of all time as he takes the stage once more. The legend lives on—step into the shadows, if you dare, and prepare to sink your teeth into a theatrical experience that will cling to the shadows of your memory long after the curtain falls.