From the quill pen of Mary Shelley, which she likely dipped in blood, Gamut Theatre brings Nick Dear’s adaptation of “Frankenstein” to Harrisburg. It’s a slow-burn, gothic horror devised to both thrill and repulse you—in all the best ways.
This play represents an allegory straight from the Book of Genesis, with ethical overtones thought-provoking on a “what-if” sci-fi level, but increasingly disturbing as technology advances with ever-loosening guardrails to keep overly ambitious scientific advances in check.
In keeping with Gamut’s mission to tell stories in new and exciting ways, and borrowing from the West End’s original 2011 production, Director Jeff Luttermoser incorporates a twist: the heavy lead roles of the Creature and Victor Frankenstein will alternate each night between the industrious, über-talented tag-team of Thomas Weaver and David Ramón Zayas. Both actors excel in their roles, engaging in a hate-filled, edge-of-your-seat wrestling match, leading you to question your own motivations, whichever villain you’re rooting for.
We first meet the Creature as a freakish foundling in a burlap diaper, scarred and non-verbal, writhing through literal growing pains, struggling with being born into the world. We watch him struggle to walk, to feel, to invent a gibberish vocabulary the way toddlers do when they have much to say. In scene after scene, the Creature wanders into dangerous encounters with numerous villagers, most of whom violently react to him based on his appearance (makeup designer Sade Smith succeeds in bringing the ugly).
In the Creature’s quest for companionship and social acceptance, he meets DeLacy (J. Clark Nicholson), a blind ex-professor who infuses him with knowledge and kindness. DeLacy is the only person who treats the Creature like an actual person. We watch the Creature feel snow for the first time, and then morph into a thoughtful scholar who asks existential questions about life. Even still, his sense of right and wrong is as patchy as the gaping wounds that hold his skin flaps together. He immediately reacts without restraint against the many fearful villagers who harm him.
An obsessive quest for knowledge also drives Dr. Frankenstein, the tortured genius. In fact, his fixation with his experiments is his sole motivation—his dark energy and arrogance trumping any moral compass, common sense, or full grasp of consequences. Each of his decisions support the adage, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Even Dr. Frankenstein’s fiancé, Elizabeth Lavenza (Erin Shellenberger), is repeatedly back-burnered in his priorities, competing for his attention and losing every time. Shellenberger delivers us a likable but lonely companion, patiently waiting for any scraps of affection from her fiancé.
Another would-be companion, the Female Creature (Hope Mackenzie), brings us a performance more memorable for her lack of emotion. The vacant stare during Mackenzie’s performance is easily the creepiest of the entire show. And the young William (Nora Gazsi), who shines when full of life, plays convincingly and equally well at the opposite end of the life spectrum.
Gamut’s talented cast and crew succeed in creating a burdened mood that feels solitary, despite its cast of over a dozen, and even more backstage. From the haze to the moonlight to the tolling bells, the setting feels electric and alive, even with all the un-alive corpses strewn about.
To truly absorb the full scope of the main characters’ approaches to their roles, and the director’s intent in alternating the actors, try to see this production twice, from both points of view. Each viewing provides distinctive insights with the separate interpretations of the Creature and his creator, Victor Frankenstein. And if you can make time post-performance with your plus-one to hash over the moral implications of playing God gone awry, and the many deep questions surrounding existence, it’s well worth your while to pull your chairs around that campfire. You may very well discover a similar dichotomy that’s alive within yourself.
“Frankenstein” runs through March 30 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. Because the main characters head-hop every other night, be sure to see this play at least twice. The character lineups for each performance are available at https://www.gamuttheatre.org/frankenstein.
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