Greystone creation isn’t the monster of the movies
The University of Saskatchewan’s Greystone Theatre is about to bring its first show of the season to life — just ahead of a very appropriate holiday.
Henry M. Milner’s Frankenstein; or The Man and the Monster (based on Mary Shelley’s famous novel) is about the titular doctor bringing a terrifying creature to life, but performer Chloe Mallinson said there’s much more to see beyond the surface.
“Everyone … thinks of (Frankenstein’s monster) as a green monster with the bolts through his neck, typically what you think of around Halloween,” Mallinson said. “But in the show, we see (Frankenstein) has created another human being who also has feelings and it’s really different to this monster that wants to destroy anything.”
Milner’s version of Frankenstein’s story is similar to the original, with a few key differences — one of which is Mallinson’s character Emmeline, who is Victor Frankenstein’s lover in this version.
The portrayal of the monster also differs in more than just appearance, Mallinson said. By the end of the show, most people will be feeling a surprising amount of empathy for the creature who gets shunned at every turn while trying to do good — like bringing Emmeline in from a storm to take care of her.
As Mallinson puts it, the monster shows “all the natural instincts” of being a good person, but is reviled for its monstrous appearance.
“I think people will be overwhelmed by how you see Frankenstein bringing to life the monster and you follow through his story … and how empathetic they feel towards this hideous beast,” she said.
The play is not terribly long, according to Mallinson, but there’s a lot going on. Director and U of S professor Dwayne Brenna has the cast doing the soundscape for the entire show themselves from the periphery of the stage. She wasn’t sure about that at first, but she now thinks it makes the experience more “organic,” Mallinson said.
“I didn’t know how it would sound from an audience point of view … it really is quite magical, it brings everything to life onstage instead of just hearing soundtracks on speakers.”
It’s billed as more of a melodrama than a horror, but it’s still a well-timed monster-starring show with Halloween just a few weeks away.
The Greystone Theatre production of Frankenstein; or The Man and the Monster runs from Oct. 9 to 19 in the John Mitchell Building on the University of Saskatchewan campus.