Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most influential novels of all time, genre or otherwise, and it’s also among the most often adapted. From stage to screen and beyond, a myriad of talented storytellers have put their spin on the classic monster tale, but no one has done it quite like Manual Cinema.
Founded in Chicago in 2010, Manual Cinema is an Emmy Award-winning performance collective best known to genre fans for the inspired shadow puppetry in Nia DaCosta’s Candyman. The team consists of five artistic directors: Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, and Julia Miller are the visual team, serving as directors, puppeteers, and performers, while Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter make up the sound team, handling musical composition and sound design.
Prior to attending Frankenstein‘s sold-out opening night show at ArtsEmerson in Boston, MA on February 22, I did my due diligence — read about it, watched the trailer, even spoke with one of the artistic directors — but nothing could fully prepare me for Manual Cinema’s awe-inspiring live experience.
Like a movie shot in real time on stage before your eyes, the enchanting craftsmanship behind Frankenstein is difficult to articulate without witnessing it with your own eyes. The troupe of multi-talented artists bring the show to life by seamlessly transitioning between three filming stations on stage, synthesizing intricate shadow play, puppetry, and live actors while musicians perform the score.
Akin to Frankenstein’s monster itself, the adaptation amalgamates a variety of storytelling methods to stitch together the classic monster tale with biographical elements from the author’s life. Shelley (Sarah Fornace) serves as the framing device, opening with the birth and subsequent death of her child. The traumatic event goes on to inspire her to write Frankenstein when her poet husband (Leah Casey) enters a friendly competition to see who could write the best horror story.
Fornace also plays Victor Frankenstein, accentuating the harmony between the two mad genius creators. But, as with all the most effective versions of Frankenstein, the monster is the heart of the story. Portrayed by shadow puppets, an infant-sized physical puppet, and actress Kara Davidson, the misunderstood creature earns sympathy from the audience even as it leaves bodies in its wake.
More cinematic than a traditional play, Frankenstein resembles a stylized silent film — complete with title cards in lieu of dialogue — while incorporating ingenious visual trickery into the narrative. If you keep your eyes on the big screen, you’d never guess it could all be performed live, but having a fly-on-the-wall perspective to the inner workings of the show is a large part of the appeal.
The soundtrack takes a similarly avant-garde approach, incorporating everything from cello, flute, and clarinet to haunting vocals, overdubbing, and a kitchen sink of percussion that includes robotically-triggered instruments. Performed by a chamber ensemble that echoes Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory, it pairs marvelously with the elaborate sound design to fully realize the immersive environment.
Not only is Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein a stunning technical achievement, but it also hits on an emotional level, distilling the timeless, Gothic horror tale and its themes of love, loss, and creation into a captivating 70-minute show. It’s perhaps the best version of Frankenstein I’ve borne witness to, regardless of medium, and it certainly leaves monstrous shoes to fill for any future adaptation.
Frankenstein performances continue at ArtsEmerson through February 26. Manual Cinema will also bring the show to Seattle, WA on March 7, with additional tour dates to be announced.
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