It's Alive! Cohesion Theatre Company's FRANKENSTEIN Brings The Monster To Life In A New Way

Cohesion Theatre Company's monstrous fifth season will kick off this winter with the Baltimore Premiere of Robert Kauzlaric's Frankenstein. This adaptation of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel transforms the classic horror tale from a story of a man and his creation, to one of a grieving woman reinventing her father.

"Frankenstein stoked my creative interests with the level of freedom it offers in its interpretation and staging," says director Melissa LaMartina, who is returning to directing after a short break. "Creatively, this production speaks to my interest in how we use horror to explore complicated themes related to being human and navigating relationships and circumstances of life. With this production, I am striving to present a work that is gripping and honest. I am fortunate to have assembled a cast that I believe shares that goal. "

The play will heavily feature the use of puppetry as Victoria Frankenstein mourns the death of her father and constructs a monster in his place, a monster that begins to consume her life.

"The story speaks to us on a more personal level, especially this reinterpretation of Victoria's journey through grieving the loss of her father," says Cohesion Artistic Director and Frankenstein's Puppetry Director and Designer Jess Rassp. "The puppetry component is an exciting opportunity to illustrate character in a more abstract, yet still very human, way."

The actors who will be playing the monster took a special workshop with Rassp to learn how to perform with the puppets in the show. "I am playing with layers of reality and realism versus abstract when constructing the "Frankenstein Monster" character. The movement of the puppet will be challenging, but I'm training the actors in puppetry articulation through Suzuki methods of acting to give them a strong foundation in stance, focus, breath and voice," Rassp says.

Through the Monster puppet and Kauzlaric's rich script, this production explores the themes of loss, grief, and despair through the lens of Shelley's original story. "As I consider my own experiences and the conceptualization of grief as a living Creature in this production, I think about the weight of grief as well as of the intermittent nature it can take on. This production offers an exploration of the demands grief makes of us, of how it can become a living force that takes over every aspect of our lives, of how it can take sudden hold even in those times we feel we have reached acceptance or a 'new normal,'" says LaMartina. "I hope that this production invites reflection, conversation, and connection."

Opening night for Frankenstein is Thursday, February 21 at 8pm. Following opening night the show will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 4 pm from February 21 through March 10, 2019. Tickets are Pay What You Can and may be purchased online at http://www.cohesiontheatre.org/frankenstein

Cohesion performs in "The Fallout Shelter" at United Evangelical Church (923 S. East Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224) at the corner of East Avenue and Dillon Street in Canton. Patrons should enter the space through the red doors on East Avenue. For more information about the Cohesion Theatre Company 2019 Season, visit www.cohesiontheatre.org

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