The Pear Presents DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA and FRANKENSTEIN: UNBOUND

The Pear Theatre has announced casting and production details for its next pearfect pairing: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea by Nathan Alan Davis, performing in repertory with Frankenstein: Unbound a new physical adaptation by The Pear Playwrights' Guild, based on the classic tale by Mary Shelley. The shows run February 3 - 26 at The Pear Theatre in Mountain View.

"In choosing this season, the strong emphasis was on community and all the different ways we define it," shares Pear Artistic Director Sinjin Jones who also directs both plays. "My secret mission was to find stories about marginalized communities that don't emphasize the negative parts of their stories."

Lauded as "...weaving storytelling, music, dance, and ritual into a fantastical tapestry; the result is thrilling," by The Los Angeles Post, and "a mesmerizing blend of magical realism and poetic social comment" by The Los Angeles Times, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea follows 18 year-old Dontrell Jones the Third, who decides that it is his duty and destiny to venture into the Atlantic Ocean in search of an ancestor lost during the Middle Passage. But his family is not at all ready to abandon its prized son to the waters of a mysterious and haunting past. Blending poetry, humor, wordplay, and ritual, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea by Nathan Alan Davis is a present-day hero's quest exploring the lengths and depths we must go to redeem history's wrongs.

"Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea is poetic and ritualistic and rhythmic, but more than anything, to me, the foundation of the story is a young man who has a strong community," shares director Jones. "To me, this is a story about the importance of connecting with your past as you prepare for your future."

Frankenstein: Unbound tells the story of gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein who succeeds in giving life to a being of his own creation. However, this is not the perfect specimen he imagines that it will be, but rather a hideous creature who is rejected by Victor and mankind in general. The Monster then seeks revenge through murder and terror. In this riveting new physical adaptation from The Pear Playwrights' Guild, we explore the depths of the search for community, spanning multiple eras across time. Written by Robin Booth, Leah Halper, Greg Lam, Sophia Naylor and Bridgette Dutta Portman. Edited by Sinjin Jones.

Jones explains, "for this adaptation of Frankenstein, we are exploring the repercussions of having no community. We were able to take the parts of the novel that we love and interpret them through the lens of both time and community. What we've ended up with, in my mind, is a wholly unique adaptation with wonderful nods to the source material. After all, Mary Shelley was quite a cutting edge writer for her time"

"The pieces are tonally very different," adds Jones. "Since we're producing in the round with the same casts and both with a significant movement focus, there are some incredibly cool overlaps that have already been discovered. In the journey of life, the impact of community can change everything. Not to mention the power of seeing a majority black cast taking on the story of Frankenstein: Unbound."

The cast of Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea features: JM Appleby as Dad, Nique Eagen as Danielle, Bezachin Jifar as Robbie, Brenda Miles as Shea, Tiffany Nwogu as Mom, Drake Pough as Dontrell, and Lauren Sweet as Erika. The cast of Frankenstein: Unbound features: JM Appleby as Vique, Nique Eagen as Justine, Safie & Ensemble, Brenda Miles as The Creature, Olga Molina as Beta, Tiffany Nwogu as The Captain, Drake Pough as Victor Frankenstein, and Lauren Sweet as Victoria / William.

The crew and creative team includes director Sinjin Jones, stage management by Pear Production Manager Kelly Weber Barraza, costume design by Chase Kupp, sound design by Charlie Hoyt, lighting design by Ed Hunter, and set design by Pear Technical Director, Louis Stone-Collonge.