Bricolage Production Company prides itself on producing adventurous theater. As their Midnight Radio series enters its tenth season of producing 1940s era radio shows, they stay true to that mission. They pull the thread on the Halloween season creep-factor with their newest production, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, adapted by Tami Dixon. The show opens playfully. The cast does a sound check, introduces the show (“a radio show that’s not on the radio”), and gives a shout out to its sponsor (“electricity…puts the ow in power”).
The five performers who comprise the cast of Frankenstein are all dressed in 1940s period dress. Live band Cello Fury nicely complements the array of onstage props to create the show’s sound effects. I remember my father sharing radio shows of his youth with me when I was growing up (“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows.”). Listening to them, I invariably wondered how the sound effects were created.
Brett Goodnack
Bricolage lifts the veil in having the props for the sound effects onstage. Even with the props in plain view, the cast worked together so seamlessly it was sometimes hard to distinguish who was creating them. Often, multiple performers partnered to create a more nuanced sound. For example, gunfire was a combination of cocking a toy rifle, then hitting a mallet into a thin-metaled pizza pan. The first mention of electricity as a sponsor was made manifest by the sharp snap of a metal clip on a clipboard and buzzing from touching the sides on the game Operation.
The play’s central characters are of course scientist Victor Frankenstein (Brett Goodnack) and his creation, the Monster (Cotter Smith). All of the performers have binders with the printed scripts in front of them on music stands. Goodnack was memorable, going beyond the words with full-body gestures. While the primary performance was auditory given the radio play format, Goodnack’s Victor Frankenstein performance proves the auditory is enhanced when the performer is fully engaged.
Cotter Smith
On the other hand, Smith as the Monster came across as underprepared relative to his fellow performers. He had a consistently flat affect that felt ill-suited to the passionate Monster who bemoans his creator and his fate as one who strikes horror in others based on his grotesque appearance. Even when the Monster begs Victor to create a companion for him, Smith’s delivery was relatively monotone. His performance would be enhanced by stronger direction from Jeffrey Carpenter and a more thoughtful approach on how to portray the Monster. Smith’s costuming also stands out as the least period of the outfits. He looks more like a preacher than a 1940s era performer.
Maura Underwood shows wonderfully diverse range in her multiple roles. She captures the soft-spoken, reserved nature of Elizabeth, Victor’s girlfriend turned wife who is murdered by the Monster on her wedding night. Then, she seamlessly transitions to a loud-mouthed lower class Irishwoman who testifies against Justine. Justine is a servant for the Frankensteins who’s falsely accused of murdering their young son who was in fact killed by the Monster.
Parag S. Gohel
In an unexpected twist, the radio play also includes Mary Shelley (Jamie Agnello). Shelley provides us with a flash autobiography at the play’s start. This makes us sensitive to her own troubled story and death at age 53 from a brain tumor that is invisible within Frankenstein. Shelley speaks with Frankenstein, helping to voice his interior monologue. Just as he is the monster’s creator, her presence as his subconscious is fitting. She is Victor’s creator as the work’s author. She chides Victor for not loving the Monster whom she describes as “your son” as if Victor’s gone rogue from what she intended as the author. She and Victor are both motivated by the desire to create, yet both experience creations that do not comply with their wishes and expectations.
Director Jeffrey Carpenter is sensitively tuned to the visuals. He consciously keeps the radio play visually engaging while minimizing distraction. The live cello trio is a lively addition to the soundtrack. In addition, the five performers rotate between the five sound effects stations, providing visual variety. Frankenstein is a dark story, but the visuals and old-fashioned sound effects offer a counterbalance that brings lightness to the story and keeps it relevant.
Bricolage Production Company’s Midnight Radio play of Frankenstein continues through November 10th. Learn more about their line-up and purchase tickets online.
Photos by Handerson Gomes
Tiffany Raymond has her PhD in 20th century American drama from the University of Southern California where her research focused on labor and social protest theatre. She also has two master’s degrees, one from the University of Southern California and one from the University of Tennessee. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her family. In addition to being a theatre nerd, she’s also a tech geek, avid reader and occasional half-marathon runner.
Categories: Archived Reviews