Unique adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’ set to open this week

PALMER — More a lesson in human morality than a horror story, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” has become one of the most frequently performed and adapted stories of the genre. Whether for the big screen, television or the stage, generations of theater-goers have been enthralled by Shelley’s Creature who finds only derision, ridicule and abuse in his quest for friendship and love.

What if the science-at-all-costs amorality of Dr. Victor Frankenstein was employed during Hitler’s evil Nazi regime? That’s a question explored by the Colony High School drama department in its performance of “Frankenstein,” which opens this week.

“Frankenstein” is still the same classic story people have come to know, said director and CHS drama teacher Brian Mead. By setting the story in Nazi-controlled Germany, the cast and crew are able to give the play a different look and feel. Gone are the rustic images of simple pitchfork-wielding villagers. What’s created is what Mead calls the traditional “Frankenstein” story “with a side of steampunk.”

Steampunk can be described as science fiction of the past. It often features steam-powered machines set in Western settings that would be ahead of the times portrayed, like the classic television program turned hit film “Wild, Wild West.”

Helping set that steampunk vibe is a creative use of copper plates in the set design, Mead said. Students used drywall and other material to put texture on the copper plates before painting them. The sound and lighting design also is key, he said, because much of the story takes place during stormy weather.

At a Monday rehearsal, Erik Miller as Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Ben Cappa as Henry (the Igor character) work their German accents while building suspense leading up to the bringing to life of The Creature, played by Richard Atkins.

With Dr. Frankenstein also serving as narrator throughout the play, it becomes clear that as the story unfolds, so does his understanding of the moral conundrum his actions have created. In rehearsal, Miller gives a strong performance, as does Cappa and Atkins. What sets this production apart is the performances of the supporting actors.

For example, even though it was only a rehearsal, Denali Thomas and Atkins have some great moments together on stage. Thomas plays DeLacy, an old blind woman who is the first human The Creature encounters after escaping Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory.

CHS’s “Frankenstein” opens this weekend at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and continues Nov. 15 and 16 at the same time.

Contact Greg Johnson at 352-2269 or greg.johnson@frontiersman.com.

What: Colony High School’s production of “Frankenstein.”

When: 7 p.m., Nov. 8, 9, 15 and 16.

Where: Colony High School theater.

Cost: $7 for students, $10 for adults.