Lawson Taitte

At some theaters these days, the Halloween show is as reliable an annual moneymaker as the Christmas one. Teatro Dallas has led the pack with its extravaganzas for the Mexican feast of the Day of the Dead.

Over the years, the Teatro series has sometimes turned bombastic in its horrors. Rarely has it achieved the elegance of 2008's Don Juan Tenorio the Vampire. Cora Cardona has adapted and directed a 19th-century script by José Zorrilla that's a traditional part of the Mexican holiday.

Zorrilla worked his own changes on the legend enshrined in so many plays and operas. He makes use of conventional figures like the charismatically seductive Don Juan, his complicit servant, some beautiful conquests and a statue invited to dinner. He also introduces unfamiliar elements, such as a bet as to who can do the most evil and the possibility of salvation by love – a very romantic 19th-century notion.

There's no vampire in the original, but Ms. Cardona has thrown in lagniappes of bloodsucking. Some suggestions of the 1950s emerge as well: Matt Fowler's Juan is like an undead Elvis. What holds all this together is the passionate chiaroscuro of Jeff Hurst's lighting.

If all this makes a bit of a farrago, Ms. Cardona's direction gets classically poised performances from her actors – in English with occasional morsels of Spanish. Nicolé Mazón portrays both of Juan's latest amours and is especially strong as the pure Ines. As Juan's rival in infamy, Darius Safavi hurls vocal fire and brimstone. Juan Pedro Cano as the cheeky servant and Sheila D. Rose as the corrupting duenna both exude charm.

Although the neck-chomping bits occasionally veer into camp, Don Juan Tenorio, the Vampire, with its high style and memorable stage pictures, is ripe fare for anyone who wants to dine with the dead this season.

Through Nov. 2 at Teatro Dallas. Runs 130 mins. $18. 214-689-6492, www.teatrodallas.org.

ARCHIVES: Search for more stories on this and other topics | Search Tips

SUBSCRIBE: Get The Dallas Morning News delivered to your home