Lightning and thunder and monsters. Oh my.
Arizona Repertory Theatre’s production of Victor Gialanella’s “Frankenstein” has ’em all.
The play, an homage to the Mary Shelley novel and a slew of movie versions, opened at the University of Arizona Wednesday. And not a moment too soon: Halloween is just around the corner; a perfect time for creepy weather and creepy characters.
Here’s a run-down of what we loved. And what we didn’t.
The play’s the thing
And this play just isn’t very good. Gialanella somehow stripped all tension out of what is usually a gasp-around-every-corner story.
It makes some leaps from the book — as did most of the movies. But the Shelley story is such a strong starting point for the hubris of man, the pursuit of knowledge at all costs, pride, evil — ah, so many themes to use as a springboard, not the least of which is a plain old scary story. Gialanella’s attempt at a fresh look at Frankenstein not only didn’t reveal anything new, it robbed it of its potential impact.
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That thunder and lightning
Graduate student Eve Bandi nailed it — from lightning powerful enough to wake the dead — literally – to the flicker of a table lamp. Director Brent Gibbs gave her the go-ahead, it seems, to pull out all the stops. It must have been delicious fun to work on. It was certainly delicious fun to watch.
Senior Daniel Colecchia handled the sound design, and he made it loud and clear. Thunder that began with a rumble and grew to a roar. The frantic bark of a dog. The pounding of a heartbeat.
Both these students gave a sweeping, cinematic feel to the play, set the mood and underscored the story with their works.
And those sets and costumes
Faculty members Peter Beudert (scenic design) and Patrick Holt (costumes) flexed their talented muscles in this production.
Beudert’s set on the aisle stage encompassed a creepy, gadget-rich two-story laboratory on one end, and an eloquent drawing room turned dressing room turned barn door on the other. He took advantage of the stage at the Tornabene to create a fire pit, an adjustable lab table, a grave — there were so many elements to the complex set, and each one transported us to the time and moment.
Holt’s costumes told us who was who — the rich brocade of Elizabeth, Frankenstein’s intended bride, the scruffy clothes of the gravediggers, the Creature’s long brown leather coat, giving him a heft and a dangerous edge.
The actors
Matthew Bowdren, an acting fellow at the UA and a regular on the Rogue Theatre stage, beautifully portrayed Frankenstein’s arrogance and single-mindedness, and then his horror at what he created.
Hunter V. Hnat, in the role of Frankenstein’s friend, Henri, has a natural ease on stage and a solid grasp of who his character is: a man deeply conflicted about his friend Frankenstein’s quest to give life to the dead.
And Micah Bond’s Creature was able to combine the monster’s strength and violent impulses with his innocence and confusion about who and why he is.
The direction
Gibbs kept the story moving and brought out strong performances. His eye for movement and intention is sharp. He was saddled here with a script that robbed the story of the terror it should have, but he managed to work around that and at times create moments that were chilling and dangerous.
