Every Halloween season, there are few characters as ubiquitous with frights quite like Frankenstein’s Creature. Having originated in the 19th-century novel by Mary Shelley, the character has sparked the imagination of millions, inspiring different interpretations to pop up with differing levels of success. In the case of Frankenstein 1930, The Long Beach Playhouse has landed on a version that feels more than suitable for their small theater setting. It’s as much a response to Shelley as it is Frankenstein (1931), exploring the difficult subject matter with only the highest of theatricality. The results are a fun night out for horror fans made all the better by a cast who really knows how to make the hair on the back of your neck stand.
It should be noted that while a lot of the DNA for Frankenstein 1930 is shared with the film, it is less an adaptation as it is a companion piece. A lot of the core elements are the same. Victor Frankenstein (David Vaillancourt) is still consumed with the potential of reanimating dead tissue. Even as he sits in conversation with others, he is often looking out the window at his laboratory: a castle on a hill that’s as ominous as one would expect. He’s a curious man who never gives a direct opinion to anyone but his lab partner Gorgo (Sean Wellengard). Even then, Gorgo is a shut-in, disabled man whose sole reason for following Victor’s commands is the potential for a friend.
Because of the small stage space, it’s difficult for a show that spans many locations, often within the same scene, to feel properly expansive. Even then, The Long Beach Playhouse splits the area into different settings, allowing the far side to be a lab while Elizabeth (Adriana Catanzarite) discusses her findings with others. It’s little things like this that allow the progression of time to never feel too tedious, especially during key surgical moments during the first act. Every side of the stage is in constant use, allowing for the audience to wander, wondering what other dastardly schemes are happening just out of sight.
The props are minimal, often reduced to furniture and side tables for surgical appliances to be used. The actors wander around deep in conversations that have their own haunting undertones. Victor especially is given a compelling arc about whether creating life is a humane task. Once he has done it, the question of murdering one’s own creation takes over. While these themes were in the film that inspired the tale, they were not done quite like this. In fact, the closing scenes differ greatly from either source material. Still, the ideas that Shelley wanted to discuss are present, and they provide an excellent thematic resonance that shines in one performance in particular.
The Creature (Charlie Spencer) towers over the supporting cast and speaks entirely in grumbling yells. While there are moments of comedic levity, it’s largely a performance defined by the inexplicable. Spencer provides the character with a certain naivety and childishness that makes him daunting against his more civilized peers. As he yells, it echoes through the room and leaves many to wonder whom he will strike next. Whereas Victor is a quiet and collected figure, The Creature is deviant in that the audience is constantly unsure how soon potential destruction will happen. What makes it even scarier is the potential that he’s not evil on purpose but more a victim of circumstance.
The show is relatively short. With two acts both averaging 45 minutes, the drama runs at a brisk but effective pace. Few moments drag and the action often carries itself through madcap transitions as villagers and scientists question the morality of Victor’s decisions. While it could be argued that a lengthier running time would flesh out The Creature, it may be for the best to have some things left unsaid. By allowing The Creature’s journey to be less nuanced, it allows for it to feel more symbolic of something invisible inside Victor. It forces everyone to question their own complicated feelings about what it means to create life and the responsibility to not let it go astray.
More than anything, it’s a solid way to spend the Halloween season. Despite any shortcomings, the energy in the room is vibrant and tense. Those prone to darker themes like murder may find difficulty with sections of this story. Otherwise, it’s a good piece of theater that comments on an iconic work’s past while finding new ways to get people invested. It was never just about the jump scares and freakish make-up of The Creature. There’s so much more to it that comes from being human. What responsibilities do we place upon ourselves to make the world a safe place? By rejecting reason, the whole world is at risk. Be careful what you do. You might just make a monster if you’re not careful.
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