Lucy
The Best at Being Bad
We have always believed Lucy to be the best character in Dracula.
She manages to elude her three mortal suitors only to fall (or leap) into the arms of the immortal count. Her decline and death highlights the threats to modernity by ancient evils, and her resurrection and destruction cements the righteousness (or depravity) of the novel’s heroes.
Stoker intended Lucy as a warning of the temptations to English womanhood, an example of what could happen should one fall from the Victorian model of purity presented by Mina. But the reality is that Lucy’s subversion of those ideals of chaste maidenhood and virtuous motherhood make her the more interesting, compelling, and believable of the two.
Whether imagined as vacuous harlot, treacherous vixen, or feminist icon, Lucy is the heart of the novel. In theatrical productions, it is Lucy’s realization that determines whether the play is tragedy or farce, action/adventure or cultural critique.
All of this is why Coil jumped at the opportunity to play Lucy in an upcoming show at The Human Race Theatre up in Dayton, even though it is going to pose some challenges to our operations in October and early November.
It was also a great excuse for us to commission three wonderful pieces of Coil-as-Lucy art. The first of those is this incredible painting by European wunderkind Jonas. It’s actually been in the shop for nearly a month now, you just may not have seen it because it’s only a few inches tall. Keep your eyes peeled next time you visit.
She manages to elude her three mortal suitors only to fall (or leap) into the arms of the immortal count. Her decline and death highlights the threats to modernity by ancient evils, and her resurrection and destruction cements the righteousness (or depravity) of the novel’s heroes.
Stoker intended Lucy as a warning of the temptations to English womanhood, an example of what could happen should one fall from the Victorian model of purity presented by Mina. But the reality is that Lucy’s subversion of those ideals of chaste maidenhood and virtuous motherhood make her the more interesting, compelling, and believable of the two.
Whether imagined as vacuous harlot, treacherous vixen, or feminist icon, Lucy is the heart of the novel. In theatrical productions, it is Lucy’s realization that determines whether the play is tragedy or farce, action/adventure or cultural critique.
All of this is why Coil jumped at the opportunity to play Lucy in an upcoming show at The Human Race Theatre up in Dayton, even though it is going to pose some challenges to our operations in October and early November.
It was also a great excuse for us to commission three wonderful pieces of Coil-as-Lucy art. The first of those is this incredible painting by European wunderkind Jonas. It’s actually been in the shop for nearly a month now, you just may not have seen it because it’s only a few inches tall. Keep your eyes peeled next time you visit.
