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All pictures - Steven Patterson

Frankenstein,
The Modern Prometheus

By Jim Helsinger
From the novel by Mary Shelley

October 11 – November 26, 2006

Goldman Theater

Just in time for Halloween, the Festival brings back one of the best-attended productions after an eight year hiatus.

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Show Information

Wednesdays, Thursdays at 7:00PM;
Fridays, Saturdays at 8:00PM;
Sundays at 2:00PM
Tickets: 10/11 and 10/12 Preview Nights - $12;
Wednesday, Thursdays, Sundays - $30, $25;
Fridays, Saturdays - $35, $30;
10/18 and 11/22 2PM Senior Matinees – all seats $12;
Students save $5;
Groups 10+ save up to 20%

Part of the AmSouth Bank Signature Series

Presenting Sponsor

REVIEWS

Frankenstein Redux!

Florida Today
From the Blog of Pam Harbaugh

The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival lets loose with yet another brilliant production. This one is "Frankenstein-the Modern Prometheus." It stars the amazing actor, Steven Patterson. This is art, folks. Engrossing, entertaining and imbued with meaning. More next week in a proper review in FLORIDA TODAY.

An Acting Tour de Force That Absolutely Should Not Be Missed

The Orlando Weekly
Review by Al Krulick

Jean-Louis Barrault, the great French actor, director and impresario, once said that one actor alone on a stage is enough to create theater — if necessary, total theater. Rarely has this dictum been more gratifyingly confirmed than in the Orlando Shakespeare Festival’s current production of Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus, a theatrical adaptation of Mary Shelley’s supernatural novel of scientific ambition gone awry. In this impressive and literate stage version of the Gothic yarn, adapted by Festival artistic director Jim Helsinger, only one actor, Steve Patterson, appears on stage to tell the totality of the sad and distressing story of vanity and remorse. And he does so through the minds, bodies and souls of its three main characters — the ambitious seafarer and would-be discoverer Capt. Robert Walton; the proud and compulsive, but ultimately contrite and broken scientist, Victor Frankenstein; and, most magnificently, the lonely and despised monster, a childishly sympathetic and innocent being made from the rotting vestiges of charnel house corpses and graveyard remains. Moving briskly from one deft portrayal to another, Patterson weaves this tale-within-a-tale-within-a-tale with a control that is nothing short of masterful. Director April Dawn Gladu has inspired him to shape exceedingly well-drawn interpretations, combining physical and vocal renderings that are both precise and moving. And while his portraits of the story’s smaller roles offer comic relief, it’s his commanding renditions of the play’s three protagonists that fill the evening with its dazzling theatrical power. It’s an acting tour de force that absolutely should not be missed. Gladu has also coaxed the best from her design team, who provide a gloomily atmospheric environment in which to present this Halloween season’s most beguiling saga. Bob Phillips’ set of spars, masts, chains, netting, cargo boxes and tattered pieces of sail makes for a chilling and utterly desolate evocation of a frozen and unforgiving seascape. Eric Haugen has never painted a more artful display of light, color and shadow, altering the play’s changing moods and temperatures with style and effectiveness. Sound designer James Cleveland has concocted a disturbingly beautiful soundtrack filled with somber musical motifs atop the resonance of Arctic storms and churning seas. While the premise of Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus, is hopelessly unconvincing — two creatures, one human and one profane, chasing one another on sleds across the floes of an ice-covered wasteland — the combined effect of Shelley’s imaginative narrative, Helsinger’s erudite adaptation, Gladu’s perceptive direction and Patterson’s phenomenal performance is one of total belief and total immersion in the doomed lives of its damned characters. It is a true experience of total theater. Barrault would have been proud.

"Frankenstein" a Monster Hit!

Florida Today
Review by Pam Harbaugh

The fall of man continues.  That issue is explored with stunning emotion and intellect in, believe it or not, the dramatic retelling of Mary Shelley's romantic novel, Frankenstein.

Here, on the small stage at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival presents a frightening glimpse into the ramifications of pride in Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus.

Written by the festivals talented artistic director Jim Helsinger, the one-man play looks at the terrible toll of hubris. He does this by putting three men, all powerfully portrayed by Steven Patterson, on what they think is a path toward paradise.

In the story, Capt. Robert Walton has set out on an expedition to the frozen Arctic and says he has found pa in this country of eternal light. Dr. Frankenstein believes bringing people back from the dead would be the source of true wisdom, health and happiness. And the Creature believes acceptance by just one human being would fill his lonely, sad soul with meaning.

But their quests turn into hell: Dr. Frankenstein loses everything; robs himself to be wise enough to realize his responsibility in life is not to follow his own selfish dream. Instead, he says, it is his duty to my fellow beings.

Yes, this is tightly crafted writing, imbued with resonant theme. But, oh my, the artistic performance by Patterson will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Superb Monologue Provides the Chills, While Stage Crew Provides the Thrills

The Lakeland Ledger
Excerpted from the review by Michael Freeman
Published Thursday, October 26, 2006

... Frankenstein's enduring appeal is amply demonstrated by the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival's decision to revive Shelley's tale in a play that even uses her original title, "Frankenstein -- The Modern Prometheus." It's one of several recent examples of a director going back to the roots of Shelley's story -- Kenneth Branaugh's 1994 movie version did the same thing. But whereas Branaugh's movie, which he starred in with Robert DeNiro, featured a huge cast, lavish sets and extravagant special effects, the play does something else entirely: it employs one actor, alone on the stage. And the results, frankly, are stunning, and far more impressive than the movie.

The play was written by Jim Helsinger, the theater's artistic director. It reminds audiences that Shelley wrote her tale as a series of letters, mainly from Robert Walton, captain of a ship stuck in the ice near the Arctic Circle, to his sister back home. Walton described how they witnessed a huge creature move across the ice, despite the fact that the ship is in the middle of nowhere, and then a smaller, older man chasing him. The older man, now dying, is rescued by the ship's crew. That man, the German scientist Victor Frankenstein, finally tells the captain the sad and scary tale of how he found himself pursuing the creature across the frozen land, hoping to finally kill it and reverse the terrible mistake he made in bringing it to life.

Steven Patterson plays all the roles, including Walton, Victor and the creature. If it sounds dull watching one man stand on stage, speaking in a manner designed to imitate someone verbalizing the contents of a letter, you're way off. "Frankenstein -- The Modern Prometheus" is a great example of what this very creative theater company can do. They pulled a similar hat trick with their recent production of "Robinson Crusoe," so I went in with fairly high expectations and definitely didn't feel disappointed.

There are actually four stars in the show. One is Patterson, who does a wonderfully imaginative job bringing the characters to life. He does this with unique changes in his voice, from the Yankee Capt. Waldon to the Germanic Dr. Frankenstein, to the low guttural moan of the creature as it learns to speak. His body language is just as impressive, from the dashing sea captain to the weak, dying scientist, who then becomes an energetic young student obsessed with the concept of reanimating the dead. Patterson provides a real tour de force as he commands the stage.

The other stars include Bob Phillips, who created an eerie set that has the interior of the ship lost at sea; Eric Haugen, who provides some startling lighting effects as the doctor brings his creation to life; and James Cleveland, who is equally effective in creating dramatic sound effects to heighten the performance. There are some stunning, unforgettable moments, including when the ship crashes against huge blocks of ice, causing Waldon to tumble over; and when Dr. Frankenstein confronts his angry creation. Thanks to some great lighting effects, Patterson is able to effectively perform as both the scientist and the creature, even as he remains standing virtually motionless.

It's easy most times to forget the vital contributions that the theater's crew makes behind the scenes, particularly when you have a performer as talented as Patterson dominating the stage. But in this case, it's the cumulative effect of the entire crews' contributions that make this show so effective. In the spirit of Halloween, it would be hard to find better thrills than the ones provided by this very gifted actor and an equally talented stage crew. It's scary how good this one is.