Mary Shelley's timeless tale of terror gets the tour-de-force treatment in "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus", Jim Helsinger's stunning adaptation for a single performer, coming to Catskill's Bridge Street Theatre Mainstage October 13-23, just in time for Halloween. BST's Associate Director Steven Patterson plays all the roles in a virtuoso display of acting and storytelling artistry that will keep audiences on The Edge of their seats.
Barely five years after it was first published,
Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" had been adapted for the stage. The 1823 production, which Mary herself attended, was so successful that a second edition of the novel was rushed out to capitalize on its sudden theatrical popularity. Since then, the book has continued to inspire artists in many media. For playwrights, its powerful themes suggest endless avenues of exploration, and the operatic scale of the story creates unique dramatic and visual opportunities. For actors, the roles of the obsessed, doomed Frankenstein and his wretched, cobbled Monster are all but irresistible.
Undoubtedly the most intriguing and challenging stage adaptation of the book in recent times has been
Jim Helsinger's one-man version. Literate, wildly theatrical, and very faithful to Shelley's original, it was first produced at Florida's Orlando Shakespeare Theater in the fall of 1998 and again at the same theater in 2006 where
Steven Patterson first performed the role. At that time, Al Krulick of the "Orlando Weekly" wrote that "Patterson's phenomenal performance is one of total belief and total immersion in the doomed lives of its damned characters. It is a true experience of total theater.
"Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus", directed and designed in Catskill by BST's Managing Director John Sowle with costumes by Michelle Rogers, will be presented for eight performances only - October 13-23, 2016 - Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm, with special "Pay-What-You-Can" performances on Thursday October 13 (a preview) and Sunday October 16 (a matinee). Regular tickets are $20, $10 for patrons age 21 and under, and can be pre-purchased at BrownPaperTickets.com or by calling 800-838-3006. Tickets will also be on sale at the door prior to each performance on a space available basis
. The theatre is located at 44 West Bridge Street in the Village of Catskill, NY.
For more information, visit the theatre online at
BridgeStreetTheatre.org.
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