This electrifying tale of a creature cast away by his creator into a hostile world—only to wind his way back in a dangerous game of destruction—has captivated audiences for over 200 years. The gothic story comes to life with Nick Dear’s adaptation of the chilling fable by Mary Shelley, animating the themes of social rejection, intellectual hubris, and the nascency of good and evil.
Content Advisory: Frankenstein features scenes of violence and is recommended for audiences 10+.
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This is an experimental failure, as the tale of a romantic Promethean hero miserably failing in his attempt to help mankind, largely because of societal prejudice against non-attractive looks as well as male arrogance destroying itself is a fascinating, if sadly irritating, endurance test.
While Michael Michetti’s perceptive direction and Dear’s economical stage adaptation combine to deliver a polished and moving production at A Noise Within, there are other artists involved that have also made major contributions.
...I highly recommend this adaptation, whether you are a fan of the original book and movie or not, as it explores a thought-provoking subject and provides fantasy, horror, humor, intrigue, and the opportunity to exercise your philosophical imagination.
Onstage for a short run at A Noise Within, Frankenstein helmed by Michael Michetti, features an astounding, sympathetic performance by Michael Manuel as the creature. Michetti and his team constructs a visual and aural extravaganza feature dream sequences and impressionistic flash-backs to dramatize the story. From the opening dumb show as the creature learns to walk and operate his unusable arm (thanks to movement director, Rhonda Kohl) to the more devastating vignettes as the creature becomes the monster (dramatized with original music by Robert Oriol), the spectacle engages our senses. ANW’s impeccable production no doubt deserves a longer run.
Director Michael Michetti has stylishly staged the tale and the tech aspects are all top notch...The acting company is fine but they are defeated by the flatness of Dear’s script
“Frankenstein” is one of the most complex productions the classic theater company has attempted. Michetti made thoughtful choices in his direction, producing a gothic horror tale that is at once chilling and heart-rending. While some versions of Shelley’s story can get gory (like Mark Grey’s 2019 opera adaptation, for instance) Michetti steers away from that — with just a touch of bloodiness in a critical scene. The set design, including four mirrored moveable panels and wood beams suspended from the ceiling, was perfect in its simplicity.
“Frankenstein” is one of the best stories ever written, and A Noise Within’s production is one of the most electrifying adaptations you’ll see. Don’t miss it!
...fans of Shelley’s Gothic novel will appreciate how elegantly the show streamlines its principal plot points and characters, and how it illuminates the enduring scientific, medical and ethical questions so presciently posed by its 19-year-old author more than two centuries ago.
At A Noise Within, however, Michael Michetti’s staging draws its strength from production values, rather than any soulful performance or emotional investiture from the actors. Dominated by Robert Oriol’s sound design, it’s an impressive spectacle, enshrouding a dry and static drama.
Frankenstein is not only a powerful tale of an abandoned child trying to connect with his father but an indictment of a society that condemns people for their outward appearances, thus creating the very evil that they fear. - Recommended
Nick Dear’s adaptation has finally arrived on our coast and how could anything so imaginative be in better hands than those of director Michael Michetti. His exquisitely appointed mounting, perfectly coupled with the world-class designers and well-appointed resources available to him at A Noise Within, makes this a theatrical retelling full of bold new life and visual splendor.
While Dear’s adaptation is in some ways problematic, this production does its best to mitigate that, with the Creature taking center stage in a reexamination of the nature versus nurture debate that is so inherent to the source material. Issues with pacing aside, the design elements of this production are impressive, particularly the lighting (Jared A. Sayeg) and sound (Robert Oriol).
No mere creature feature, Dear’s stage version of the Shelley tale is a horror story, but it is about the horror that is inflected on the psyche of a neglected, rejected, alienated being—a sentient being—and the toll that such cruelty extracts from the abused being and that being’s reaction the insensitivity of others to his outlier appearance.
Frankenstein – which was also titled The Modern Prometheus – is a reaction against the forces of science being unleashed by the industrial revolution. It is an expression of the ethos of Romanticism, the early to mid-19th century movement which celebrated nature, passion, the individual and rejected the rational. Above all else Mary Shelley is warning Man not to tamper with the natural world, for by doing so he throws things out of kilter. Given the growing threat of climate change Shelley’s cautionary tale remains all too relevant. And with the development of automation, androids and genetics, the notion of man playing god is very apropos. It’s still not nice to fool Mother Nature!!!
A Noise Within’s Frankenstein is a brilliant multilayered exploration of human hubris, the darkest and some of the best parts of what makes us human. It’s a Masterpiece!
You may have seen Frankenstein before (indeed with over sixty film adaptations you almost certainly have) but you have likely never seen it so powerfully and movingly told through a misunderstood monster’s eyes. A Noise Within’s Frankenstein opens its 2019-2020 season in the most thrilling and unforgettable of ways.
This is an experimental failure, as the tale of a romantic Promethean hero miserably failing in his attempt to help mankind, largely because of societal prejudice against non-attractive looks as well as male arrogance destroying itself is a fascinating, if sadly irritating, endurance test.
While Michael Michetti’s perceptive direction and Dear’s economical stage adaptation combine to deliver a polished and moving production at A Noise Within, there are other artists involved that have also made major contributions.
...I highly recommend this adaptation, whether you are a fan of the original book and movie or not, as it explores a thought-provoking subject and provides fantasy, horror, humor, intrigue, and the opportunity to exercise your philosophical imagination.
Onstage for a short run at A Noise Within, Frankenstein helmed by Michael Michetti, features an astounding, sympathetic performance by Michael Manuel as the creature. Michetti and his team constructs a visual and aural extravaganza feature dream sequences and impressionistic flash-backs to dramatize the story. From the opening dumb show as the creature learns to walk and operate his unusable arm (thanks to movement director, Rhonda Kohl) to the more devastating vignettes as the creature becomes the monster (dramatized with original music by Robert Oriol), the spectacle engages our senses. ANW’s impeccable production no doubt deserves a longer run.
Director Michael Michetti has stylishly staged the tale and the tech aspects are all top notch...The acting company is fine but they are defeated by the flatness of Dear’s script
“Frankenstein” is one of the most complex productions the classic theater company has attempted. Michetti made thoughtful choices in his direction, producing a gothic horror tale that is at once chilling and heart-rending. While some versions of Shelley’s story can get gory (like Mark Grey’s 2019 opera adaptation, for instance) Michetti steers away from that — with just a touch of bloodiness in a critical scene. The set design, including four mirrored moveable panels and wood beams suspended from the ceiling, was perfect in its simplicity.
“Frankenstein” is one of the best stories ever written, and A Noise Within’s production is one of the most electrifying adaptations you’ll see. Don’t miss it!
...fans of Shelley’s Gothic novel will appreciate how elegantly the show streamlines its principal plot points and characters, and how it illuminates the enduring scientific, medical and ethical questions so presciently posed by its 19-year-old author more than two centuries ago.
At A Noise Within, however, Michael Michetti’s staging draws its strength from production values, rather than any soulful performance or emotional investiture from the actors. Dominated by Robert Oriol’s sound design, it’s an impressive spectacle, enshrouding a dry and static drama.
Frankenstein is not only a powerful tale of an abandoned child trying to connect with his father but an indictment of a society that condemns people for their outward appearances, thus creating the very evil that they fear. - Recommended
Nick Dear’s adaptation has finally arrived on our coast and how could anything so imaginative be in better hands than those of director Michael Michetti. His exquisitely appointed mounting, perfectly coupled with the world-class designers and well-appointed resources available to him at A Noise Within, makes this a theatrical retelling full of bold new life and visual splendor.
While Dear’s adaptation is in some ways problematic, this production does its best to mitigate that, with the Creature taking center stage in a reexamination of the nature versus nurture debate that is so inherent to the source material. Issues with pacing aside, the design elements of this production are impressive, particularly the lighting (Jared A. Sayeg) and sound (Robert Oriol).
No mere creature feature, Dear’s stage version of the Shelley tale is a horror story, but it is about the horror that is inflected on the psyche of a neglected, rejected, alienated being—a sentient being—and the toll that such cruelty extracts from the abused being and that being’s reaction the insensitivity of others to his outlier appearance.
Frankenstein – which was also titled The Modern Prometheus – is a reaction against the forces of science being unleashed by the industrial revolution. It is an expression of the ethos of Romanticism, the early to mid-19th century movement which celebrated nature, passion, the individual and rejected the rational. Above all else Mary Shelley is warning Man not to tamper with the natural world, for by doing so he throws things out of kilter. Given the growing threat of climate change Shelley’s cautionary tale remains all too relevant. And with the development of automation, androids and genetics, the notion of man playing god is very apropos. It’s still not nice to fool Mother Nature!!!
A Noise Within’s Frankenstein is a brilliant multilayered exploration of human hubris, the darkest and some of the best parts of what makes us human. It’s a Masterpiece!
You may have seen Frankenstein before (indeed with over sixty film adaptations you almost certainly have) but you have likely never seen it so powerfully and movingly told through a misunderstood monster’s eyes. A Noise Within’s Frankenstein opens its 2019-2020 season in the most thrilling and unforgettable of ways.
