Dracula Reimagined: AI, Transhumanism and the Modern Quest for Immortality
Marie-Claude Verdier’s new play, Dracula. Un nouveau règne du mal, isn’t your grandfather’s vampire story. This adaptation transforms Bram Stoker’s iconic villain into a Silicon Valley libertarian obsessed with achieving immortality, reflecting contemporary anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and the transhumanist movement. The play, debuting at the Théâtre Denise-Pelletier, uses the classic tale as a lens to examine how technology is reshaping – and potentially exploiting – the human experience.
The Silicon Valley Vampire: Parabiose and the Pursuit of Eternal Life
Verdier’s inspiration struck when she learned about investors like Peter Thiel exploring parabiose – the practice of receiving blood transfusions from young donors to potentially slow down aging. This real-world pursuit of longevity mirrors Dracula’s thirst for blood, but shifts the context from gothic horror to the world of biohacking and extreme wealth. The play doesn’t shy away from the ethical implications of such practices, framing them within a broader critique of unchecked ambition and the desire to transcend human limitations.
“Vampirizing” the Human Experience: Surveillance Capitalism and AI
The play also draws heavily from Shoshana Zuboff’s perform, L’âge du capitalisme de surveillance (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism), which argues that tech giants are “vampirizing” human experience by extracting and commodifying personal data. This concept is central to the play’s exploration of AI, suggesting that the pursuit of technological advancement can come at the cost of privacy, autonomy, and even our very humanity. The play questions whether the benefits of AI outweigh the risks of surrendering our personal information and agency.
A Feminist Twist on a Classic Tale
While retaining the core narrative structure of Stoker’s novel, Verdier introduces a significant change: the feminization of certain characters. This reimagining offers a fresh perspective on the power dynamics within the story and potentially explores how gender influences the pursuit of immortality and control. The play follows Jonathan (Simon Landry-Désy) as he visits the enigmatic David Rand, known as Dracula (Maxime Denommée), and becomes entangled in a world of technological ambition and hidden agendas. Mina (Noémie O’Farrell), a quantum computing prodigy, plays a crucial role in Dracula’s quest, developing an algorithm that could unlock the secret to eternal life.
The Danger of Unquestioning Faith in Technology
Verdier is critical of the often-unquestioning acceptance of technology as inherently neutral. She argues that the way these technologies are created and coded is inherently problematic. While acknowledging the potential benefits of AI in specific scientific applications, she warns against treating AI models as infallible oracles. She equates this blind faith to a form of “religion,” highlighting the dangers of surrendering critical thinking to algorithms.
Echoes of the Stasi: Surveillance and the Loss of Privacy
The play draws a chilling parallel between modern surveillance technology and the practices of the Stasi, the former East German secret police. Verdier points out that the amount of information collected by our smartphones – our viewing habits, sleep patterns, emails, and photos – would have been unimaginable to the Stasi. This comparison underscores the extent to which we voluntarily surrender our privacy in exchange for convenience and connectivity, and the lack of adequate legal safeguards to protect our personal data.
A Stagecraft Approach: Evoking Fear Without Relying on Technology
Interestingly, the production deliberately avoids relying heavily on visual technology. Verdier believes that excessive use of screens and special effects can detract from the power of live performance and ironically undermine the play’s message about disconnecting from technology. Instead, the production focuses on the evocative power of the actors and the storytelling itself, creating an “inquiétante étrangeté” (uncanny strangeness) that resonates with the audience.
A Legacy of Collaboration: Honoring Claude Poissant
The production carries a poignant weight, as This proves the final project with which the late Claude Poissant, former artistic director of the Théâtre Denise-Pelletier, was involved. While Frédéric Dubois ultimately took the helm as director, Poissant’s “dialogue artistique” shaped the play’s development. Verdier emphasizes that Poissant fostered a collaborative spirit and instilled a sense of trust in the creative team, ensuring the show would go on even after his passing.
FAQ
Q: What is transhumanism?
A: Transhumanism is a philosophical movement that believes in using science and technology to enhance human physical and cognitive abilities, potentially overcoming limitations like aging and disease.
Q: What is parabiose?
A: Parabiose is a controversial procedure involving blood transfusions from young donors to older individuals, with the aim of slowing down the aging process.
Q: What is surveillance capitalism?
A: Surveillance capitalism, as described by Shoshana Zuboff, refers to the economic system centered around the commodification of personal data.
Q: Where can I see the play?
A: Dracula. Un nouveau règne du mal is playing at the Salle Denise-Pelletier from March 17th to April 14th, 2026.
Pro Tip: Consider the ethical implications of the technologies you use daily. Are you comfortable with the amount of data you are sharing, and how it might be used?
Did you know? The play’s exploration of AI and immortality reflects a growing cultural fascination with these themes, as seen in popular science fiction films and literature.
What are your thoughts on the intersection of technology and humanity? Share your comments below!
