“Can a man be a god?” asks Victor Frankenstein.
At what point does curiosity turn into craving; craving, addiction; and addiction, madness? This slippery slope is not foreign to Victor Frankenstein and certainly no more foreign to human history.
It is no mystery that the current state of the world plagues us all with incessant questions. Scientific advancements inspire questions of human necessity. Spiritual enlightenments encourage questions of human purpose. Political agendas spur questions of human capacity for good and equal capacity for evil.
Though the sociopolitical climate may be new, the questions certainly are not. Mary Shelley, a woman far ahead of her time, wrote a story in 1816 about a man battling these uncertainties. “Frankenstein” has remained a source of intellectual stimulation for 200 years and does not cease in its relevance in 2025.
Gamut Theatre Group is proud to present central Pennsylvania’s first professional production of “Frankenstein,” a stage adaptation by Nick Dear based on the novel by Mary Shelley. And, as director Jeff Luttermoser says, “2025 is a disturbingly perfect time to produce this story in this way.”
Luttermoser is originally from Michigan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree of fine arts in theatre. His directing credits include “Murderess, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “1984,” “Dracula,” “Richard III” and more. He has also co-directed nine productions for Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School, where he teaches. He was last seen on stage at Gamut Theatre Group as Queen Elizabeth in “Orlando” and Peter in “The Zoo Story.” Luttermoser, a brilliant intellect and craftsman, brings his passion with full force to this process. He, along with the rest of the cast, is certain that audience members will be touched and provoked by the themes and questions explored in this piece.
When you hear the name Frankenstein, what do you think of? A large, green-skinned monster with neck-bolts? Someone yelling, “It’s alive!” with gusto? Or do you think of a scientist—hungry for knowledge, desperate for power, and a newborn man—innocent, sensile, impressionable? If you chose the former, you are not alone. That is the most common association in pop culture to this ever-famous western name. However, it is not true to Mary Shelley’s original text.
Luttermoser states that “many believe the Creature is a mindless monster, but in Mary Shelley’s novel (and our play), he is intelligent, articulate and deeply emotional. Some assume Frankenstein is purely a horror story, but it is also a philosophical exploration of ethics, identity and the consequences of scientific ambition.”
Nick Dear’s adaptation of “Frankenstein” focuses on the Creature’s expedition of becoming. This journey is one all humans experience, yet most start this journey as a baby. How does it play out when the innocent heart of a child is found in the stitched together body of a constructed man? And how does this affect the creator-creation dynamic?
Luttermoser wants to focus on this creator-creation relationship and thus has made a unique directorial choice. There are two actors cast as both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. David Ramón Zayas and Thomas Weaver switch roles every night. This is how the original production of Nick Dear’s “Frankenstein” was done, and Luttermoser follows suit, emphasizing “how Frankenstein and the Creature mirror each other in terms of their ambitions, vulnerabilities and suffering. The role-switching gives both actors the opportunity to experience the dual perspectives of creator and creation, enriching their performances and offering audiences two interpretations of the relationship at the heart of the story.”
If this intrigues you, Gamut Theatre invites you to see both versions of the production. A detailed schedule with information on which actor is playing the Creature each night is available on Gamut’s website.
“Slowly I learnt the ways of humans: how to ruin, how to hate, how to debase, how to humiliate. And at the feet of my master, I learnt the highest of human skills, the skill no other creature owns: I finally learnt how to lie.” (Nick Dear).
When you come to see “Frankenstein,” you will not simply walk away having experienced art. You will walk away having glimpsed the essence of humanity. “Humanity is at the core of this story, for better or for worse. I guess that part is up to the audience,” says Luttermoser. This story, he adds, does not merely aim to teach a principle, but rather explores the nuances of “morality and the deep human need for acceptance and connection.”
So, if you are a creature who has evolved and is composed of genetics, ancestry, memories, pains, joys and harmonies. And, if you are a creating one, who has stitched together life’s materials to make meaning out of its form. If you are human, then this story beckons you. Come, explore with us, the created and creating ones.
“Frankenstein” runs from March 15 to 30, at Gamut Theatre Group, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. This production is recommended for ages 12 and up. For more information, visit www.gamuttheatre.org/frankenstein or call 717-238-4111.
UPCOMING EVENTS
At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
717-238-4111
The Popcorn Hat Players
“The Golden Goose”
March 5 to 22
Wednesdays & Thursdays at 10 a.m.
Saturdays at 1 p.m.
“Frankenstein” by Nick Dear
From the novel by Mary Shelley
March 15 to 30
Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.
TMI Improv
March 7
7:30 p.m.
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