The joys and perils of motherhood, the hovering shadow of infant mortality, and the sting of loneliness and rejection merge as Mary Shelley creates her masterwork, Frankenstein. The Creature that Dr. Frankenstein produces, an assemblage of disparate elements, coalesces into a monster with a human soul. His horrific appearance conceals the gentlest heart. Through no fault of his own, he is forced to descend into evil deeds. Excerpts from the 1818 edition of Frankenstein, music, and dance interwoven with Mary Shelley’s letters and diaries create parallel narratives as both dramas unfold. Featuring Bach-inspired music of the 19th century, from Liszt, Schubert and Bach.

A portrait of the artist as a grieving mother comes to The Pershing Square Signature Center in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The show, written by Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC) Artistic Director Eve Wolf and directed by Donald T. Sanders, is a cross between a play, a ballet, and a concert. ERC specializes in the fusion of chamber music, stunning visuals and narrative; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is no exception with its 18th-century style set pieces by Vanessa James, dynamic projections by David Bengali, and classical music by Liszt, Schubert and Bach masterfully performed by Steven Lin (piano), Kemp Jernigan (oboe), Parker Ramsay (organ/harpsichord), and Mezzo-Soprano Krysty Swann. The narrative unfolds as Mary Shelley (Mia Vallet) writes her famous novel about the scientist Victor Frankenstein (Paul Wesley) and his creation, the wretched Monster (Robert Fairchild). Mary and her husband, Percy Shelley (Wesley), are also grieving the loss of their three children, who all died prematurely. The play tries to connect her feelings of failure as a mother to the motivations of the novel’s characters. This theme continues throughout the play and eventually settles on a kind of acc …Read more