Chloe's Not Scared

I was lucky enough to catch Manual Cinema’s “Frankenstein” this weekend at the Studebacker Theater in downtown Chicago. If you’re unfamiliar with the Manual Cinema but you still love horror, you might remember this theater troupe from the opening puppet show in Nia DaCosta’s Candyman (2021). Mixing shadow puppetry, live-acting, original music and film, Manual Cinema creates an unparalleled theatrical experience for the audience. Their shows almost always sell out, and this run of “Frankenstein” was no different. At only 65 minutes, “Frankenstein,” according to the press release, is an “unexpected tale about the beauty and horror of creation,” mesmerizing audiences with its technical achievement and emotional depth this Halloween weekend.

Directed by Drew Dir (co-artistic director), Manual Cinema takes this real-life literary background of Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, connecting the life and death of author Mary Shelley’s child to her story of Victor Frankenstein and his creature. By choosing to bookend the play with the story of Mary Shelley’s conception of the novel, this reminds audience that the story of Frankenstein is inherently feminist. Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in a contest between herself, her husband Percy and Lord Byron while vacationing at Lake Geneva. Lord Byron proposes writing contest: whoever writes the best ghost story, wins. Obviously, we all know who won. Standout performances include Sarah Fornace as both Mary Shelley and Victor Frankenstein, and Julia Miller as The Creature, also co-artistic directors of the theater, though the entire ensemble should be applauded here.

A production by Manual Cinema is a well-oiled machine, complete with original music and vocals, live puppetry and acting. This production of “Frankenstein” was stylized as a black and white silent film, so add title cards into the mix as well! Several screens were set up across the stage with percussion on one side and other instruments/vocals on the other. The audience could choose to watch the puppeteers and actors get into position in front or behind the screens, or watch the projection of these images on the “big screen” in the middle of the stage. No matter where you look, someone or something is always in motion, creating an extremely dynamic (and yet not distracting) theater experience. At the end of each performance, the actors invite audience members to come onstage after the show to look around as well, adding to the immersive element. It is very apparent that craft and community are at the forefront of this production.

This is not Manual Cinema’s first run of “Frankenstein,” and hopefully it will not be their last. From 2018 to present, the troupe has put on several productions of this play including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and The Public Theater in New York While the 2024 Chicago run of “Frankenstein” has sadly ended, you can catch Manual Cinema’s “A Christmas Carol” at the Studebacker Theater in Chicago (their hometown) this winter.

Author’s Note: This is my first theater review on this site! I like to say that I am a “recovering theater kid.” I am not the rabid, musical-belting, cast-party-at-Perkins-going theater kid I once was, but I still love live performances. But I have a degree in theater so I do kind of know what I’m talking about, plus Chicago is absolutely teeming with theatrical talent. I won’t always post about theater on this blog because I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. However, you can visit my Substack, where I’ll be posting more play and theater reviews as well as reviews of haunted attractions.