EDWARD GOREY (1925 - 2000) Vampire bat sketches for the Broadway production of Dracula.
Pen and ink on paper, glued to board, circa 1976. 240x588 mm; 9⅜x23 inches. Inscribed and signed "For Alex, Edward Gorey" in center panel.
Production Designs for the play, Dracula performed at the Nantucket Stage Company, 1973; the Wilbur Theater in Boston, 1977; and premiering on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theater on October 20th, 1977.
The Dracula play, originally written by Hamilton Deane, premiered in Derby, England in 1924 and later reached London and the West End. In 1927, it was adapted for American audiences by John Balderston and opened on Broadway, starring then-unknown actor Bela Lugosi. This version inspired the iconic 1931 Dracula film.
The play wasn't revived in the U.S. until 1973, when producer John Wulp staged it with the Nantucket Stage Company, featuring sets and costumes by Edward Gorey. In 1977, producer Eugene Wolsk brought the Gorey version to Broadway, with Frank Langella starring as Dracula.
