Gothic tales are intended to give you a shiver. I saw this show with a class of sixth-graders, and when the play began, amidst gloomy music and gathering darkness, one kid responded to the deliciously creepy atmosphere by letting out a whoop.
The story picks up on a dark and stormy night, amidst a gathering of the greatest English poets of the day. Young Mary Shelley suggests they have a contest to see who can tell the best ghost story.
Mary: And what do we win, if we tell the best ghost story?
Byron: And what do you win?
Mary: Yes.
Byron: Why Mary – Immortality, of course. The best stories are immortal.
Mary: Immortality, that is a worthy goal.
Byron: My lady, it is the only goal.
It is a measure of what Mary Shelley has achieved that almost everyone today knows the basic outline of the tale she created -- about a renegade medical researcher who reanimates a dead body. The creature he brings to life is unnaturally strong, remarkably cagey, and rather demanding. Very soon, the tables are turned.
Creature: You are my creator, but I am your master – Obey!
Victor: No, I will not! I will not add one abomination to another!
“You are my creator, but I am your master.” This ultimatum, penned by the teenage Mary Shelley, foretells our discussions today about artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. “Frankenstein” may be a Gothic thriller from a bygone age, and yet she made an absolutely brilliant call, 200 years ago.
But getting back to the production at hand... this well-crafted B Street adaptation is a beautiful paradox. It’s concise – 75 minutes long, just five actor -- and it’s a rattling-good yarn for 10- to 12-year-olds. But college-educated adults will also enjoy this far-sighted, cosmic tale with all its moral underpinnings, even if they just came along for the ride. Sometimes special gifts come in small packages, and the B Street’s “Frankenstein” – one of their better shows in recent years -- is a little jewel.
The B Street Family Series production of “Frankenstein” continues through March 20th.
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