Monster Mash-Up

Reese Giles plays the tormented monster in a relatable production of Frankenstein.

Reese Giles plays the tormented monster in a relatable production of Frankenstein.

Substitute the tech revolution for the Industrial Revolution, and you could reliably place Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus in our own time. The famous monster tale has recycled itself well through the ages, and newer theatrical productions of the work have the lurching title character expressing his abandonment and self-loathing quite eloquently (unlike popular earlier versions, where Frankenstein just grunted and raged like a rabid animal).

Shelley’s 1818 story explored themes of isolation and emotional coldness in an increasingly mechanized world — the same complaint many have about the way online “connection” has, in this century, deemphasized real-life interaction. Michelle Colecio of the Blue Ridge Community College drama department puts it this way: “Technologically, we’re always on a fast-track to ‘better. It’s man versus everything that’s inhuman.”

But BRCC’s production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is, in fact, warmly human, featuring a revolving cast in the lead roles. Check out more in Bold Life’s feature article: www.boldlife.com/everymans-monster/

Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus runs from October 27-31 at Blue Ridge Community College’s Patton Auditorium. All performances begin at 7:30pm, plus a matinee on Sunday, October 30, at 2pm. Tickets are $5/students, faculty, and staff; $7/general. To reserve a ticket, contact Treadway at 828-694-1849 or by e-mail at js_treadway@blueridge.edu.

 

 

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