Frankenstein at Jobsite Theater

Frankenstein

Adapted by Nick Dear from the novel by Mary Shelley

Directed by David M. Jenkins

Oct. 18 – Nov. 12, 2023

Shimberg Playhouse, Straz Center

Is it even Halloween if Jobsite doesn’t have something spooktacular on stage? Recent years have seen us run down a list of horror literary masterpieces and literary-adjacent works in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Dracula, Misery, and Edgar & Emily – and we can’t wait to give Frankenstein our own special spark of life.

Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the friendless Creature, increasingly desperate and vengeful, determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal. Urgent concerns of scientific responsibility, neglect, cognitive development, and the nature of good and evil are embedded within this thrilling and deeply disturbing classic of both the sci-fi and gothic genres. Nick Dear’s electrifying adaptation emphasizes intense human emotion and the complexities of human relationships over shock and gore, however audiences should still be advised that aspects of the story remain unsettling over 200 years after publication.