Displaying items by tag: Ian Frank

You may be wondering why four of the city’s most formidable houses are each mounting productions of ‘Frankenstein’ this season. You may be also asking yourself which, if any, to see. It appears that Lifeline, Remy Bumppo, Court Theatre and Lookingglass have all included unique adaptations of the sci-fi classic. More than likely it is because 2018 marks 200 years since a young Mary Shelley published her seminal work. Of course, October is a pretty great time to stage any sort of Halloween theatre, but there’s something about the production running at Remy Bummpo that doesn’t quite feel like a horror story.

From an adaptation by Nick Dear and directed by Ian Frank, Remy Bummpo brings a great deal of humanity to this stage production. Dear’s adaptation was a success when it premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London back in 2011. It went on to be live broadcast in American movie theaters in 2012. This particular script comes with fanfare. The RNT production was directed by Danny Boyle and starred a then fledgling Benedict Cumberbatch. Something interesting Ian Frank borrowed from the London staging was the interchangeable casting of the Creature and Victor, played here by Nick Sandys and Greg Matthew Anderson. The two switch roles every other night. Sandys portrayed the Creature in Tuesday night’s opening.

Dear’s swift moving script begins at the creation scene, arguably the most dynamic moment of Shelley’s source material. Not too many frills here but the device saves quite a bit of exposition, because honestly who doesn’t already know the basics of the story? For those unfamiliar with Shelley’s original text, this is where the plot might diverge from popular memory. Dear’s script maintains a great faithfulness to the novel rather than the Boris Karloff monster movie.

Sandys performance as the Creature is more tragic than scary. Though, Kristy Leigh Hall’s special effect makeup makes Sandys unrecognizable and very menacing. The Creature, like a baby, begins naked and ignorant of the world around. Over the course of the 90-minute play, we watch a cruel world educate the outcast Creature into becoming a monster bent on revenge. Sandys eventual monologues about the desire for love are as haunting as the murder scenes. The script intellectualizes the Creature in a way that makes the audience pity him instead of fear him.

Ian Frank’s production is intimate and minimal. A sleek stage design by Joe Schermoly gives this production a disorienting effect. It’s almost to say, forget what you think you know about ‘Frankenstein’. In fact, this ‘Frankenstein’ may not even be a true horror story. Unlike Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ or Gaston Leroux’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’ – ‘Frankenstein’ sets itself aside as a story of scientific failure and the condition of humans to fear what we do not understand. It’s a story about the human need for love and this production tugs at the heart more often than it curdles the blood. Mary Shelley would appreciate the depth this adaptation gives to her most important contribution to literature.

Through November 11 at Remy Bummpo. Theatre Wit 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150

In a cramped police station in Southern France, a handful of men argue about why they were picked up for questioning. During the Nazi occupation of France in WWII, Germany left Vichy to be governed by France. This didn't exempt the zone from mass deportation of Jews living on false papers. Arthur Miller's "Incident at Vichy" explores the dark themes of a region living in fear, holding a mirror up to our own time.

With direction by Ian Frank, Redtwist gives a faithful production of Miller's under-produced 1964 one-act. Redtwist's best asset from show to show is the intimacy of their performance space. For a claustrophobic play like this, a better space couldn't be found. There are almost as many cast members as audience members and when the room is full, there's an inherent sense of panic.

White men arguing is pretty often seen in mid-century theatre. Usually it's a vehicle for expressing the playwright's world views. "Incident at Vichy" is a play of its time period. That's not to say Arthur Miller's words aren't chillingly relevant. As each character in question slowly divulges the reasons they may be sent away, they prioritize their own right to life over their neighbor's. In those passionate monologues, Miller cuts right to the heart of human nature, which is sometimes primal.

With a large cast and a short play, it's unusual to have so much character development. The ensemble distinguishes themselves well. The play hangs on a stand-out performance by Jeremy Trager as Von Berg (an Austrian nobleman). His character is the only one who seems to express empathy and guilt about what's happening to the people around him. David Giannini and Tim Parker balance out the cast as Bayard and Leduc and turn in strong performances as well.

"Incident at Vichy" is a story of people living in fear. It's a cautionary tale of what can happen when people are apathetic. With all this history, it's shocking in America that some would-be politicians are touting mass deportations of minority groups. To that end, Miller's play has never been more essential.

Through January 10th at Redtwist Theatre. 1044 W Bryn Mawr. 773-728-75329