The backstage dressing rooms of the theater were hot and steamy. Stress was high and the tension could be cut with a butter knife. Makeup was being applied and costumes adjusted, and this was just for a run-through.
Union’s theater department is putting on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” adapted by Frank Gialanella, March 16-20.
This year is the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s ghost story, so the entire university is celebrating the work by holding various events centered around “Frankenstein.” Janna Chance, associate professor of English, talked about the promotion of “Frankenstein” throughout the English department as well.
“Several professors in the English department are teaching ‘Frankenstein’ this semester, and the Center for Faculty Development has organized a faculty discussion group on ‘Frankenstein,'” she said.
“We are super excited about it,” said freshman theater major Jacob Beals, an actor in the production. “We have put a lot of work into it and we really hope that everyone will enjoy it and come out to see it, because we have all worked countless hours on it.”
Senior psychology major Matthew Wallace who is also working on the production shared his thoughts as well. “We all put in a lot of work. This is going to be a technically beautiful show as far as aesthetics, set and lighting go. It’s technically very complicated, but it’s going to have a lot of payoff, because we all worked really hard to make this show as great as it can be. It has a lot of humor, a lot of heart, [and] a very good message, but its very dark, it’s very tragic — very sad. It’s going to be a really awesome show.”
Show times are 7 p.m. on Friday, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. There will be a 3:00 pm matinee on Saturday. Tickets are $5 for students, staff, and faculty — $7 at the door. Tickets for general admission are $7 prior to the show and $9 at the door.
Frankenstein is not the only event happening in the theater this weekend, however. The Blank Slate Improv team will be performing their first long form improv show of the semester Sunday evening, with doors opening at 6:30PM, and the show starting at 7PM. Tickets are $3 apiece, and everyone who wears their Blank Slate shirt gets $1 off. The show will wrap up around 8:30PM, so any Greek life students who have a meeting at 9PM will be able to attend both.
