Frankenstein: A New Type of Play

Yesterday, our English class along with a few others went over to the University of Chicago to watch a play reenactment of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. After getting our seats, I was perplexed as to how a book as complex and successful as Frankenstein could be performed on such a small stage and instruments taking up nearly half of that space, I couldn't imagine how the show would be performed.

As the show started, I realized the complexity and sheer amount of work involved in rehearsing and setting up each scene of the play. To start, nearly every scene was performed live-action. A series of projectors and film trickery were used to give the audience a sense of depth, complex scene backgrounds, and different types of light. As you were watching the play on the large screen there was virtually no way for one to tell that the show was being performed right in front of us. However, look to the left, right and even center of the stage, and you could see the hard work and dedicated cast performing every section of the play.

While the play had little if any dialogue, the cast managed to give theme and meaning to the characters through music. For instance, every time the Frankenstein came into the scene, the music drastically changed to an ominous and sinister tone. The music kept the audience on edge for almost the entire play.

Afterward, the cast had a discussion with the audience and we realized the amount of work required for a live action play. Everything had to be meticulously designed and executed. For instance, the placement of the musical instruments was explicitly thought out to ensure that the cast could move between projectors as fast and efficient as possible. The projectors were placed in an area of the stage so that the audience wouldn't necessarily be distracted, but they could easily look to one side or another to be further engaged in the play.

I thoroughly enjoyed the play, and afterward, I decided to research other plays similar to Frankenstein. While I was somewhat unsuccessful in my search, I saw a PDF that explains some of the tricks used in the play to further enhance the viewing experience. It is attached below.

Film Tricks