The Communist Dracula Pageant

Somerville, Mass - As soon as I saw the playbill for this production at the American Repertory Theatre (ART), I knew I had to see it. The image of the Romanian dictactor Nicolae Ceausescu smiles out from the poster, but somebody has drawn Dracula fangs to enhance his mug.

You never know what to expect from the ART, which tends toward unconventional characters, minimalist sets and surreal storylines. So who better to tackle this rather absurd episode in Romanian history? And - since I am currently working on Lonely Planet's guide to Eastern Europe - what better diversion for me on a Friday night?

In short, the play is about the 1989 revolution in Romania, which brought about the downfall of the worst of the communist-era dictators in Eastern Europe: Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena. It's hard to follow unless you know the history... thankfully, the program provides the necessary background information.

The inspiration for the play was a real-life event that took place in 1976, when Romania celebrated the 500th anniversary of the death of Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler, best known as Dracula. This 15th-century Prince of Wallachia (a province of present-day Romania) was the namesake and inspiration for the vampire character in Bram Stoker's novel. He was renowned for his cruelty and ruthlessness.

But apparently he is also Romanian national hero. Nicolae Ceausescu perceived himself to be a sort of heir to Dracula's historical legacy, which was celebrated in 1976 with as much pomp and circumstance as the Romanians could muster. The concept of a "communist dracula pageant" seems more than a little ridiculous... and it is. Which is why it is the perfect starting-point for the production.

One theme of the play is the constant juxtaposition between fantasy and reality. The Ceausescus were masters at creating their own reality, starting with their revisionist history about good old Vlad Tepes. A few other examples that are referenced in the play:

• Nicolae Ceausescu was a terrible shot, but he frequently went hunting with his security guards, who would drug the bears so Ceausescu could shoot them.
  
• Elena Ceausescu was educated only up to fourth grade, but she considered herself to be an accomplished scientist, founding laboratories and signing off on other scientists' work.
  
• Nicoale Ceausescu held titles such as the "Genius of the Carpathians" and the "Shining Light of the Romanian People".
  

In December 1989, in the northern town of Timisoara, a small group of people protested against the eviction of a Hungarian priest. Troops fired on the protestors, killing about 200 people, which fuelled more demonstrations. In response, the government organized a "spontaneous" rally in support of Ceausescu - another manufactured reality, but this one was debunked. The dictator's speech was not well received and he was not able to calm the crowd. Skirmishes broke out, and the rally eventually turned into protest riots.

The whole thing was televized. The Ceausescus fled.

Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were arrested the next day. Still living in fantasy land, they refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the court and turned down the services of a defense attorney. Not that it would have done them any good. The trial lasted less than an hour; they were found guilty of genocide and executed. You won't get a more surreal storyline than that.

The Communist Dracula Pageant tells the tale using all of the props promised in the subtitle - hallucinations, phosphorescence and bears - which only accentuates the surrealism. The historical events fly by without clear comprehension of what's going on, capturing the chaos and confusion of the uprising.

It is a startling reminder that nobody knew how these events would play out in 1989. Even in Romania itself, it was not clear if this was a revolution or just an absurdist play... Indeed, Ann Washburn's play questions - as many Romanians do - if the revolution wasn't yet another fabrication - a clever cover for a coup d'etat.

It's been almost 20 years since these fateful events occurred in Eastern Europe - Romania being the last of the Eastern bloc regimes to fall. For me, this play was a wonderful, welcome reminder about why I chose to study this wacky part of the world. Where truth is stranger than fiction...

Photos courtesy of the ART.