Dracula- meet cast member Heather Benjamin!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I've been acting since high school in both community and professional theater, and also have a full-time job in the marketing field. I founded a small professional company, Perisphere Theater, a few years ago, and that's been an exciting journey. When I'm not doing those things, I'm out hiking in Shenandoah National Park or geeking out at the Smithsonian museums.

What do you find appealing about this show?

I have always loved the novel "Dracula" because Bram Stoker so perfectly captures Victorian psychology and its simultaneous attraction to, and repulsion by, eroticism and the supernatural. I like the character of Mina because she is intelligent and strong, but not encumbered by fear of showing her humanity. I think this show is ultimately about mercy and bringing it to those we love, and she understands the primacy of that.

How does Dracula differ from other shows you have worked on?

The characters are incredibly earnest and brave. There is no ironic detachment in this story, as you might find in an Oscar Wilde play, which makes it a fun challenge. It's totally straight, and as an actor I'm rarely playing subtext, but instead whatever I'm actually saying.

What do you want the audience to experience when they come see Dracula?

I hope they have a great time enjoying this classic story and get a little bit scared and turned on.

Who is your favorite vampire and why?

Gary Oldman in "Bram Stoker's Dracula," because he's not only hot AF, but also so emotionally intense.

What made you get involved in theater?  How did you get involved with LTA?

When I was in the third grade, our teacher handed us scripts one day and said we were going to do a play. I was one of the shyest kids in the class, but when we auditioned for the roles, shockingly, I ended up with one of the leads. That was the beginning of a lifelong fascination with playing people who were really different from me.

I first worked with LTA in 2008 on "Enchanted April," and it was a great experience. I don't know what it is about this group, but LTA always has an incredibly positive vibe and really nice people working on shows here. That is rare and awesome. Also, the proscenium theater is fabulous to get to work in, in a time when so many shows around town are done in black boxes.

What advice would you give others who are interested in working in theater?

Know why you're doing it. It can be very rewarding and fun, but it can also be really hard. You have to make choices all the time about how much you want to make theater about career vs. just doing projects and roles you want to do. You need openness and vulnerability, and you also need toughness and stamina. You can't do it if you don't cultivate both those aspects. And it's important to remember that ultimately, it's about storytelling for the audience, and everything you do is for them.