Frankenstein
Prime Stage Theatre - New Hazlett Theatre - November 2022
Director: Liam Macik - Script Writer: Lawrence C. Connelly - Set: Tucker Topel - Lighting: Hope Debelius -
Sound: Mark Whitehead
Photos by Hope Debelius
Frankenstein, a tale of two worlds
It was a dark and stormy night when Lord Bryon set a challenge - who among the group could write the scariest story? An apt challenge for a room full of writers (and Claire). Who will win? Byron, already famous for his poetry, or Percy Shelley, new on the writing scene? Doctor Polidori, personal physician to Byron, or young Mary Shelley, daughter of two great writers?
It’s a tale of horror and intrigue that poses the question: Who is the monster and who is the man?
This adaptation, written exclusively for Prime Stage Theatre by Lawrence C. Connelly, follows Mary Shelley as she explores her story in her world and in the one she creates.
Half of the play took place in Mary Shelley’s world, and the other half took place in the world she was creating for the audience (and Claire). All of the actors were playing at least two roles as Mary drew inspiration from the people around her.
Within the world of Frankenstein, I tried to keep to a very distinct color palette. The design team was inspired by classic horror films and film noir. Those marked safe from the Creature wore black, green, or red. The Creature’s victims were marked with either blue or grey.
The Creature - monster or man?
It was my highest priority to get the design of the Creature right. We didn’t want to make him terrifying, but we also didn’t want to make him campy. We definitely wanted to go a different direction than green body makeup with stitches and bolts.
I did a lot of research for this design - I looked at everything from decomposition and necrosis to the Golem of Jewish mythology to Lichtenberg Figures, the specific scar pattern from lightning strikes. I eventually settled on a combination of all of those ideas. The final look consisted of an ombre effect on the arms from black to grey with some Lichtenberg Figures on the chest and face.
The costume itself consisted of a distressed “shirt” of bandages and a distressed pair of linen trousers, along with a pair of slippers. The Creature also stole costume pieces from Victor (a lab coat) and Felix Delacey (a cloak), before making himself a collection of furs to stay warm in the frozen wastes.
“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”
— Mary Shelley, Frankenstein