Review: THE PEOPLE VS. FRANKENSTEIN at Attleboro Community Theatre

As a huge fan of Mary's Shelley's 1818 "Frankenstein" book, this world premiere production of "The People vs. Frankenstein" based on the book written by by Nicola Cuti and Kevin M. Glover(Glover was at the performance!) peaked my interest.

Set a few years after the original book, the Frankenstein monster is now known as Maxwell Berg(wouldn't you change your name after that book?), played hauntingly by Geoff White.  Berg is on trial for the death of his creator, Dr. Victor Frankenstein but not all is as it seems.  But instead of another Frankenstein monster tale, "The People vs. Frankenstein" is more of a tale of acceptance or a lack thereof, not judging a book (or person) by its cover and the strength of accountability, all three that society is waning on these days.

John Softcheck plays an excellant prosecutor Alexander Coopersmith, who has been hired by Victor Frankenstein's adopted son Ernest, played by Anthony Gaudette to find the monster guilty of his father's death.  Public Defender Cornwall Bellini, a southern litigator played incredibly by Anthony J. Cox(who also directs!) tries his best at defending Max with the help of the soft-hearted lab assistant Olivia Hoffner, played by Ruthie Winters, but the prejudice in the way Max looks and his past history make the case that much harder to defend.  When witness after witness comes forward who are lying or whose memories are proven incorrect, even then, Max still looks guilty.  When Max's love interest Petra, played ghoulfully by Marissa Simas comes forward with more derogatory information about Max, everyone is quick to believe it.  Sound familiar?

While only a scant few characters derive from the original "Frankenstein" book, the new ones do the former and current book justice.  I brought my teens, fresh off reading Mary Shelley's book a few months back, to debate "The People vs. Frankenstein".  These kids are already jilted by the new world we live in now and were concerned how this trial would end, much like the things going on in the world now.  Is Max just guilty because he's been violent in the past?  Does it just make sense to kill the person who created your despicable body?  Did the police investigators just hone in on Max because everyone thought he was the right fit as the murderer?  In the end, you learn how hard it is to convince people of something contrary to what they have believed all along.  

The teens had a thumbs up for "The People vs. Frankenstein" as did I.  The performance makes us all think that we may all be too quick to judge these days and what impact that quick judgement may have not just on us but on the people that impact it the most.  

To post a comment, you must register and login.