“Frankenstein” Will Rock Davidson College in World Première
The Monster confronts his creator, Dr. Victor Frankenstein
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10/9/2003
Contact: Bill Giduz 704/894-2244 or bigiduz@davidson.edu
Mary Shelley’s gothic monster, mistakenly known by most people as “Frankenstein,” will come to life in a new form October 22-26 in the Davidson College theatre department’s world-première production of “Frankenstein, The Rock Opera.”
“Frankenstein” will be produced at 8 p.m. from Wednesday through Saturday, October 22-25, and at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 26, in Duke Family Performance Hall of Knobloch Campus Center. Seating is general admission, and all tickets are $15. Call 704-894-2135 from 10-4 weekdays for reservations.
Theatre goers who haven’t read Shelley’s famous 1817 novel will be surprised by this musical rendition of the tale, which adheres meticulously to the author’s original plot. First of all, Frankenstein is not the monster. Frankenstein is the creator, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, whose hubris at the discovery of “the secret of life” leads him to mess with Mother Nature’s natural birthing process. Dr. Frankenstein is immediately repelled by the grotesque features of his artificial man, and abandons him. The rest of the tale concerns the monster’s fruitless search for acceptance in the world of humans who despise his looks, Dr. Frankenstein’s angst and indecision over how to put his genie back in the bottle, and the creature’s search for revenge by murdering those humans that Dr. Frankenstein loves most dearly.
Alan Stevens '04 practices bringing the Monster to life
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The project began three years ago as a whim in a Davidson English literature class. Justin Perkinson, a summa cum laude Davidson graduate in 2001, and Ty Morse, a current senior, got class credit for writing four rock songs based on their study of the book. When they also presented the pieces in concert to a crowd of Davidson students, the reception was so enthusiastic that they decided to pursue the idea further. They recruited a professional musician friend from Minneapolis, Jon Greenlee, and the trio has been working ever since. Their “creation” is a full-blown, thirty-six song production that the three authors hope will end up eventually on Broadway.
Alan Stevens, the Davidson senior who plays the part of the monster, explained that the story says as much about the monstrosity of humanity as it does about the monster’s evil nature. “The monster just wants to be loved,” Stevens said. “He just wants a fair deal, but in one way or another he’s denied that by Frankenstein and everyone else just because of his appearance. The monster is searching for the goodness in humanity, but nothing he tries works. That’s the tragedy of the whole thing.”
Bryant Kirkland, a first-year student who plays Dr. Frankenstein, offered insight into his character’s dilemma, saying, “Victor knows he has given his creation nature, but not nurture. That tears him up because the monster is a sign of his own failure, and he’s too much of a narcissist to accept that.”
The author, Mary Shelley, was a Bohemian, newlywed, teenager trekking across Europe with her husband, Percy Byshe Shelley, and a close circle of rebellious, intellectual friends when she penned “Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus” in a friendly competition to write ghost stories. Gill Holland, professor of English at Davidson, explained that the original title refers to “the Promethean over-reacher, one who goes too high, tries to create as if God, and loses control over his creation.”
Bryant Kirkland '07 rehearses his role as Dr. Victor Frankenstein
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Viewers who are only familiar with the many Hollywood versions of “Frankenstein” will encounter an intriguing, complex story, full of unlikely plot twists, forays to the ends of the earth, and philosophical drama which questions the humanity of both creator and creation.
Professor Holland, in whose literature class Perkinson and Morse originally conceived the project, called it “a noble enterprise,” and wished the authors the best in their hopes for broader production. He concluded, “That’s what education should be, freeing creative people to go as high as they can.”
Joe Gardner, professor of theatre, is directing a sixteen-member cast of mostly first-year students in the play. Gardner said the power of the production will come from its music, which includes everything from high-energy ensemble pieces to tender solos, and gripping duets between Victor and the monster. Rick Dior of Charlotte, principle percussionist with the Charlotte Symphony, will direct an eight-member rock orchestra in the production.
Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,600 students. Since its establishment in 1837, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine. Davidson is engaged in “Let Learning Be Cherished,” a $250 million campaign in support of student financial assistance, academic resources, and community life.
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