The Count’s Den has been inviting mortals into the secret world of vampires since 2018, with productions like the Remember Me series, Germaine and Elizabeth, and numerous other wickedly creative projects. Now, to celebrate the Halloween season, creator Rachel Foti has re-opened the crypt doors for Bite, a horror-comedy immersive dinner party featuring several actors that horror theatre fans will recognize from Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater’s signature show, Urban Death. We praised Germaine when we saw it last year and Urban Death has been honing its balance of horror and comedy for over a decade but immersive theatre, especially highly interaction-based theatre like this particular show, requires the ability to react to the feedback of the audience so I was interested to see how the cast would adapt to this unique set of challenges.
The show begins before you enter the classic unmarked building in downtown LA where all-immersive theatrical magic seems to occur, as your group is approached by vampire junkie and audience plant, Meggy (Michaela Slezak), who’s beaming with energy about the prospect of meeting actual vampires but still cautious enough to bring strawberry-scented stamps, which the internet has convinced her can ward off unwanted bites. As our time to join the coven arrives, we’re led into a narrow room with vaulted plywood ceilings and lines of paintings as the Countess Yizidora (Elif Savas) introduces us to her family—The lecherous lothario Leofwine (Ian Heath), the calculating and inquisitive Sorana (Libby Rose), the self-obsessed aspiring actor Hakan (Anes Hasi), the loyal servant Edmond (Patrick Beckstead), and man’s best friend, adopted werewolf Danté (Kelly McMinn). The count is in the building as well but isn’t up to seeing guests following a run-in with a werewolf.
At this point, the show becomes heavily improvised, as the actors have a set of things to show you and places to take you, but are otherwise free to respond to whatever elements of this complex family dynamic you’re most interested in. There are a few other areas outside of the main banquet hall that the family will show you throughout the night that help add some visual variety to the experience and offer a chance to dive more deeply into how they’re dealing with the modern world and spending hundreds of years around the same people. Yizidora is a surprisingly modern woman given the family’s roaring 20s fashion sense but she struggles with the choices made by her kids, particularly Hakan and his thirst for validation that he’ll make it in Hollywood. Sorana’s desire for human contact centers around the need to satiate her curiosity in understanding what makes us tick. Leofwine seems eternally aroused like he might be making a list for an upcoming orgy, and Danté is just a regular dude that really wants you to throw his ball.
The first hour or so allows is devoted to these one-on-one interactions that flesh out the characters, allowing just enough time to delve into everyone’s story. As that’s wrapping up, we enter into the dinner phase. The food itself was decent, Thai noodles with chicken and roasted vegetables. I wouldn’t say this is the main attraction of the night but it was flavorful and they seem very responsive to dietary restrictions. The dining experience is further enhanced by an open bar with a selection of beer, wine, and mixed drinks. The real highlight of the dinner is how it forces everyone together and brings tensions to the forefront, as is the case with any family gathering. This is not your typical family, however, and passive-aggressive guilt-tripping gives way to song and vaudeville as the count’s erratic condition looms over the festivities.
Bite is a dense, 90-minute affair that is meant to be fully-enjoyed in a single sitting without any nagging leftovers. It doesn’t have a grand overarching narrative and the price is a bit above the average at $75 but the shows length and talented ensemble go a long way in justifying the cost. The cast proved quite comfortable improvising characters which seem designed with them in mind, as Heath’s tall, lanky form seems to coil around you, suffocating your personal space and McMinn’s stout burliness makes for the ideal personification of all that is canine, with unabashed enthusiasm and deep fist pumps following any level of praise. The show is 21+ and there is some nudity, though the subject matter is tame in comparison to something like Urban Death. As with any show so dependent on interaction, your enjoyment will depend on your willingness to engage in the experience but for the right audience Bite fills a niche that traditional haunts cannot.
Tickets are available at The Count’s Den
