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| the cast photo by John Groseclose |
Click here for more information on this production that runs through October 29th.
"...While Victor Gialanella's serious dramatization of the story of a man who creates a living monster from pieces of corpses is slow going at times...it still elicits numerous chills. It also creates a deep compassion for the creature, especially with Adam Cantrell's exceptional performance, in Theater Works' beautifully acted, directed and designed production. Gialanella has taken the main elements from Shelley's gothic romantic horror, added a few touches from the early film adaptations, and formed them into a fairly straightforward telling of the young Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his desire to reanimate and recreate life from the dead. ...does a fairly good job of portraying the conflicted thoughts of Victor and evokes our empathy for the Creature, but it also plods along at points with only a few instances of true tension and terror. Fortunately, director Chris Hamby and his crackerjack creative team have ensured those moments of horror are delivered well, with a superb laboratory set design by Jason Washburn and Mike Armstrong that is expertly lit by Jeff A. Davis and features evocative sound effects from Stephen Christensen under Brett Aiken's technical direction....Gialanella, just like Shelley, makes Frankenstein's creation the character with the most layers and growth, and Adam Cantrell is stunning in the part. It's hard to believe that you can actually feel compassion for someone who kills, yet in Cantrell's compelling and nuanced performance it's easy to feel a deep sympathy for this lost soul who didn't ask to be born. Wes John's Victor successfully comes across as an obsessive and possessed man whose desire to reanimate life virtually consumes him. As his fiancée Elizabeth, Shandi Ilyse projects devotion and love for Victor...Cliff Williams is quite good as Victor's friend... As the blind man the Creature befriends, Robert Peters is entirely believable...While this adaptation of Frankenstein may not be perfect, Theater Works' production has a talented creative team and clean direction that keeps the terror in check and the tone of the play never approaching humor. While you may come in hoping to experience the chills and thrills the story is known for, and you definitely will witness a few of those moments, it will be the profound performance by Adam Cantrell that you'll be remembering long after the curtain call. " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
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