FRANKENSTEIN – Written by Nick Dear; Directed by Kelly Van Oosbree. Produced by Platte Valley Theatre Arts (Performed at the Armory, 300 Strong St, Brighton) through October 19. Tickets available at Platte ValleyTheatreArts.org.
There are people who read a script and are totally daunted by the scope of it. The number of scenes, the number of characters, the size of the story . . . too much. Then there’s Kelly Van Oosbree who reads a play and realizes the challenges but does it anyway. Such is the case with this script of FRANKENSTEIN. It creates a journey over place and time; it creates a character who commits heinous acts of violence, but who you can’t help but feel sorry for; it reveals a man so concerned with his own legacy of science that he loses his humanity. It also provides an opportunity for a small cast to tell a large story.
Everything I’ve seen at Platte Valley has been thoughtfully curated, beautifully performed, creatively presented with a unique perspective. FRANKENSTEIN is no exception.
You enter the stage area as though going into a cave. Immediately the antenna goes up. OK, this is kinda creepy. What’s going to happen here this afternoon? It starts off with the sizzle of electricity burning through a body and a monster is born. You observe as he struggles to rise, haltingly learns to walk, then run. Then the startled look on Dr. Frankenstein’s face as he walks in and finds what has been created.
The story is a familiar one for anyone who likes this genre of movies. There are at least 400 known movies about this creature, along with multiple TV shows. This script follows the source novel by Mary Shelley to its end in the Arctic. The thing that makes this version more meaningful is Kelly’s decision to not disfigure the ‘monster’ in any way. He presents as a confused human in tattered clothing who learns about the humanity he has been “born” into very slowly and with much disillusionment.
Another thing that makes the presentation more meaningful is the tormented, heartbreaking performance by Jeffrey Parker as the Monster without a name. The brain he has been given allows him a more logical approach to the world as he, bit by bit, explores his place in it. Jeffrey has shown an amazing talent in a number of challenging roles, but he surpasses them all in this tour de force performance.
He is ably supported by a talented cast that includes Bill Diggle as Dr. Frankenstein, his arrogant creator. The good doctor is stiff, unbending, conceited, but brilliant. However, in his one love scene with his ever-patient fiancé, you can see that there is a real flesh and blood man under all that arrogance. Elizabeth (Jordan Zbylski) is a surprisingly sweet but frustrated woman tired of empty promises. While standing up to his demands for understanding, she still manages to convey the sad state of dependency for women from the era. Wade Livingston gives Frankenstein’s father a strong role model that, unfortunately, he chooses to ignore. Rachel Graham, her of the tiny body and big talent, wakes the monster up to the potential joys of having a female companion. A young actor performing under the name of Keller O. gives a strong portrayal of Frankenstein’s younger brother who overcomes his fear to become a friend to the monster. All in all, with the support of ensemble members, a strong cast telling an intriguing story in a creative way.
Special note must be made of the period costumes and tattered garments provided by Nicole Harrison, costumer extraordinaire; the extremely moody and eerie lighting effects achieved by the amazing Brett Maughan; the brilliant set pieces designed by Jeff Rusak which allowed the story to move seamlessly through space and time; and Kristina Bobrowski who kept everything running smoothly backstage and on-stage.
It’s a problem with Platte Valley shows that they can only run two weekends. Which means you only have until this coming Sunday the 19th to hie yourself up to Brighton to “Step into the Light” and “Face the Dark.”
A WOW factor of 9!!
Thank you for the kind words!