Playwright Nick Dear humanizes the monster commonly if incorrectly known as Frankenstein in his 2011 stage adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic, an A Noise Within season opener as compelling as it is unexpectedly poignant.

Rather than retell Shelley’s 1818 novel from his creator’s point of view, Dear gives us the gospel according to The Creature (Michael Manuel) from the moment the incredible hulk finds himself re-animated from human remains sutured together into giant-sized, hideous, but still manlike form.

It doesn’t take long before the monosyllabically grunting Creature has made his escape from his repulsed creator only to find himself inspiring terror and revulsion on Bavarian streets.

Luckily for our still virtually mute antihero, an unexpected bit of good fortune has him making the acquaintance of a blind farmer (Harrison White as De Lacey) left to fend for himself while his son Felix (Thomas Hobson) and daughter-in-law Agatha (Tania Verafield) are off on a lengthy mission to prepare their fields for winter plowing.

Since ugliness is only skin deep and De Lacey can only see beneath The Creature’s skin, before you know it the former has taught the latter to speak erudite English, to think and reason, and even to read Milton, that is until Felix and Agatha return home and The Creature learns the meaning of revenge, collateral damage be damned.

It’s only now that Dear introduces us to scientist/creator Victor Frankenstein (Kasey Mahaffy), his father Monsieur Frankenstein (Bjørn Johnson), his preteen brother William (Van Brunelle), and his picture-perfect fiancee Elizabeth (Erika Soto), and if things have been dark before, they’re about to get pitch black.

Unlike Shelley’s novel, which focused at least initially on Victor’s ill-fated efforts to play God, Dear’s stage adaptation acquires 21st-century relevance by examining the causes of prejudice (most significantly, fear of the unknown) and its results, in this case a “what goes around, comes around” scenario in which the oppressed may just get to wreak vengeance on the oppressors.

Particularly powerful stuff in America circa 2019, and directed for A Noise Within by Michael Michetti with consummate imagination and theatricality, aided and abetted by scenic designer François-Pierre Couture’s striking, endlessly mobile non-literal set. (It’s a shame production stills provided to reviewers give no hint of Couture’s design or of Jared A. Sayeg’s stunningly dramatic lighting.)

Manuel’s deeply felt, monstrously human lead performance is an absolute dazzler, and with the always forceful Mahaffy giving us Victor Frankenstein in all his complexities and contradictions, it’s no wonder audiences may find themselves questioning who’s the real beast here.

Soto not only makes for a lovely, societally victimized Elizabeth, she proves herself the Female Creature of any Straight Male Creature’s dreams in a dream pas-de-deux exquisitely choreographed by movement Rhonda Kohl.

Supporting performances are all-around splendid, most notably White’s heartbreaking De Lacey, as professorially wise as he is paternally warm, with additional fine featured turns by Robert Hope (Klaus), Desirée Mee Jung (Clarice), Jeremy Rabb (Gustav), Katie Rodriguez (Gretel), and Garrett Walters (Rab).

Adding to the stage magic are sound designer Robert Oriol’s tension-enhancing effects and evocative original musical underscoring, Angela Santori’s appropriately horrifying creature makeup design, Garry Lennon’s authentic period costumes, Erin Walley’s equally terrific properties, Shannon Hutchins’ just-right wigs and makeup, and Kenneth R. Merckx, Jr.’s realistic fight choreography.

Kohl is assistant director. Julia Zayas-Melendez is stage manager and Jacob Houser is assistant stage manager, with select casting by Victoria Hoffman.

Christian Ganiere alternates with Brunelle as William. Alan Blumenfeld, Harrison Harvey, Brian Henderson, Mara Klein, Ty Mayberry, Rabb, and Michael Uribes are understudies.

You may have seen Frankenstein before (indeed with over sixty film adaptations you almost certainly have) but you have likely never seen it so powerfully and movingly told through a misunderstood monster’s eyes. A Noise Within’s Frankenstein opens its 2019-2020 season in the most thrilling and unforgettable of ways.

A Noise Within, 3352 East Foothill Blvd, Pasadena.
www.ANoiseWithin.org

–Steven Stanley
August 17, 2019
Photos: Craig Schwartz

Tags: A Noise Within, Los Angeles Theater Review, Mary Shelley, Nick Dear