Des McAnuff (Original Director) was just recently named the permanent artistic director at the La Jolla Playhouse, this being his second term. He was serving as an interim artistic director for the 2001 season, when this announcement was made on March 12. McAnuff's first tenure as artistic director at the La Jolla spread from the theatre's rebirth in 1983 through 1994. During that time the theater earned over 200 awards, including the 1993 Tony Award for "America's Outstanding Regional Theatre." Among the 21 productions he directed during these years were How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which played on Broadway for sixteen months starting in 1995; The Who's Tommy which went on to both Broadway and London, winning McAnuff Tony and Olivier Awards as Best Director of a Musical; and Big River which played on Broadway from 1985 to 1987 and won a Tony for Best Musical, as well as garnering McAnuff a second Tony for Best Director of a Musical.

From left to right: Des McAnuff, Frank, Don Black, Christopher Hampton

Christopher Hampton (Book and Lyrics)'s plays, screenplays and translations have won him world-wide acclaim. He wrote such prestigious works as Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Philanthropist and Savages, all of which have been staged both in London and on Broadway. His writing credits also include Tartuffe, Tales from Hollywood, and Treats. He has done translations of Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning Art, Chekov's Uncle Vanya, Moliere's Don Juan, and also Hedda Gabler and A Doll's House, both of which played Off-Broadway. He wrote the screenplays for the acclaimed films Dangerous Liaisons, for which he won an Academy Award; Total Eclipse, which he adapted from his own play; Mary Reilly, a twist on the tale of Jekyll and Hyde; and Carrington which he also directed.

Don Black (Book and Lyrics) has written over a hundred songs for movies, and is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber and also John Barry. His Broadway credits include lyrics for Merlin, Aspects of Love and Song and Dance (the song cycle from this is also known as Tell Me on a Sunday). His first musical was a collaboration with John Barry titled Billy. He and Barry are better known for writing several James Bond theme songs, including "Thunderball," "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Man With the Golden Gun." Black has written for such recording artists as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Smokey Robinson. He wrote the Olympics theme song "Amigos Para Siempre" with Webber. Black's other honors include an Academy Award for his song "Born Free" (written with Barry and originally performed by Sinatra), a Golden Globe Award and five Ivor Novello Awards.

Dracula is not the first time Christopher Hampton and Don Black have worked together. They collaborated on Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard. For this they earned Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score of a Musical.