“Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein “

Highly Recommended **** Most of us grew up on Boris Karloff in “Frankenstein”, a tale of a Doctor who desires to recreate man from the dead. What Lookingglass Theatre is now presenting is a whole new look at “the monster” as told by Mary Shelley. This is a version that many will be surprised by. David Caitlin has adapted this book to fit the Lookingglass mode of creating stories that are physical as well as mental. Caitlin also directs this powerful story. Lookingglass patrons know that every time you enter the “black box” venue, you will see a different configuration. This one is in the round, so to speak, with audience members sitting on all four sides and the action taking place on a platform of sorts in the center of the room.

The story takes place where a group of friends are enjoying an evening of ghost stories, and as Mary Shelley ( Cordelia Dewdney is sheer perfection in this role) starts her story about Victor Frankenstein ( deftly handled by Walter Briggs, who also plays Mary’s husband Percy) we watch this gothic tale come to life on this stage and surrounding theater. There are only five actors in this tale of love, horror and the power to create life, but with Caitlin’s direction, the transitions are smooth and seamless..

Part of what this epic tale is telling us is that within each and every one of us, a monster might exist. On the same topic, perhaps within each monster, there is also a man. Caitlin, who has given us some glorious adaptations over the years does brilliant work with this story. Many audience members are only familiar with the classic film, the younger ones, only with “Young Frankenstein” as seen thru the eyes of Mel Brooks. This is a special work of art that allows us to see the story of creation, rejection and destruction. It is a story about love lost as well as love found. Whether or not you believe that life can be created as Dr. Victor Frankenstein did, experiencing the sensations of getting into the hearts and souls of these people, and their ghosts, provides an amazing evening of entertainment.

The rest of the cast of five are:Debo Balogun as Dr. John Polldori, Keith D. Gallagher as both Lord Byron and “the monster” and the incredible Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel ( making her Lookingglass debut)as Claire . This cast, while small in numbers truly shows us the power of live theater and how we the audience get caught up in their story.

The production team is a special one for this production. It cannot work without their expertise, so we really must give them a tip of the hat. Daniel Ostling’s set is powerful and intriguing. The sound and music by Rick Sims adds a great deal to the storytelling as do the lighting effects (William C. Kirkham). The costumes by Sully Ratke are very fitting of the period and the circus design ( this is Lookingglass, after all) is by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi.The props are handled by Amanda Herrmann ( what a monumental job this is) and the production manager Sarah Burnham makes sure that everything is where it should be.

“Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein will continue at Lookingglass Theatre located in the Water Tower , 821 N. Michigan Avenue ( entrance on Pearson) thru August 18th with performances as follows:

Tuesdays   7:30 p.m. ( June 11th and 25th, July 2nd, 16th and 30th)

Wednesdays  7:30 p.m.

Thursdays  2 p.m. May 30th, June 6th and 20th, July 11 and 25th) and 7:30 p.m. except July 4th

Fridays   7:30 p.m.

Saturdays  2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sundays  2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

added: Wednesday, July 3rd at 2 p.m.

Running time two hours and thirty minutes with one intermission.

For special access performances, visit http://www.looingglasstheatre.org/access

Tickets range from $45-$86 and can be purchased at the box office, by calling 312-337-0665 or online at www.lookingglasstheatre.org

Parking at a discount at Olympia Parking on Chicago Avenue. Bring your ticket for validation.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”