Be afraid, be very afraid, the Westside Theatre Foundation has scheduled performances of “Dracula: The Sin of the Flesh” beginning Friday night at the Strand Theatre.

“We like to say this show is 50 percent stage play, 50 percent haunted house and 50 percent horror movie,” Westside Theatre Foundation founder Jack Burns said.

Like others before, the WTF has adapted Bram Stoker’s original version of “Dracula,” by altering portions of the story.

“We still have the same main characters and most of the main characters still occupy the personality of the originals with some exceptions,” Burns said, but hesitated when speaking of the deviations for fear of spoiling the show.

“In our adaptation he (Dracula) doesn’t say a word in the whole show. Everything he does is with body language and facial expressions,” Burns said, adding local dance teacher Kim Thomas served as the movement coach for Wallace.

“Thomas has helped us in viewing this character with a level of sexuality that he doesn’t always have. This is a dark, scary, sexy, wonderful show,” Burns said, likening it to a multimedia experience.

Patrick Wallace, a newcomer to the WTF stage, plays Dracula in the local production. “This is a somewhat modernized version of Bram Stoker’s novel from the 1890’s and hopefully people will come see it and enjoy it. It’s an antiquity put in a modern-day format,” Wallace said.

In addition to Wallace, Burns will play Dr. John Seward. Other cast members include Justin Barnett as Renfield, Jason McKellar as Jonathan Harker, Stacie Schrader as Lucy Westenra, Allison East as Mina Harker and Jim Miller as Professor Van Helsing.

“In this show I pretty much explain what the vampire myth is and the legends and talk about it and then we have a situation in which it happens,” Miller said.

Burns referred to Professor Van Helsing’s character as one of the leading roles since the character has the largest number of lines in the show.

“Oh my Lord, I have got to remember them all,” laughed Miller, who is a regular with WTF productions.

Burns and Schrader are co-directors for the show, which promises to offer chills and thrills.

Not only will audience members have the opportunity to view the production, Burns said they might also be engaged in the show.

“This is the haunted house component of the show. I’m not saying people will drop out and scare them, but I am not saying that they won’t,” Burns said.

For the past five years, the WTF has offered a live performance of “The Rocky Horror Show” during the Halloween season, Burns said, “but because we were unable to get an ironclad commitment from the cast members, we decided to change gears and do something different,” he said.

In conjunction with the hair-raising performance, local musicians, Louis Maran and Burham Gates, will provide eerie sounds and Daniel Boone will be serving as the musical director and sound effects technician.

“Dracula: The Sin of the Flesh” is an adult show, Burns said.

“We are going to have nurses standing by because within two minutes of the show people will be running scared from the theater.”

Burns also warned that audience members should not bring electronics to the theater.

“We’ve gone to a good amount of time with the special effects and “blood” will be sprayed,” he said, adding, “We think people will have fun and be scared and astounded.”

A child-friendly version of the show is in the works, Schrader said, with times and dates to be posted on the WTF website.

“Dracula: The Sin of the Flesh” will begin at 7:30 p.m. and run Friday, Saturday and Friday, Oct. 30 and at 9 p.m. Oct. 31.

Tickets are $15 in advance at the Highway 61 Coffeehouse, 1101 Washington St. and $18 at the theater, 717 Clay St.

A “ Rocky Horror Picture Show” viewing party will also be offered at the Strand Theatre and shows are scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Oct. 30 and at 11:45 p.m. Oct. 31. Advance tickets are $10 at the Highway 61 Coffeehouse.