Review of Castaic’s production of Frankenstein

On December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at 7 pm, the Castaic High Theater team performed Frankenstein, based on Danielle Mohlman’s play, in Castaic’s very own Performing Arts Center theater. The play consisted of two 45 minute segments with a 15-minute intermission, and concessions were available for purchase. 

The first half of the play consisted of a buildup of drama and problems between the main character Mary and her husband, Percy, as they are on the brink of a physical confrontation and possible divorce, which only fuelled the agony that Mary Shelley would later use to write her novel. There was also an excellent selection of music that only ever added to the story. Although sometimes I did feel overwhelmed with the amount of information I was processing, it was always enough to keep me, quite literally, at the edge of my seat. 

The later scenes are full of action and suspense, where we finally begin to understand the monster that Victor was previously eager to show the world only for his creation to backfire because “you can’t play God. ” Eventually, all the pain that Shelley poured into the monster created a murderous creature.  The creature killed all of Victor’s family except his wife Elizabeth, a powerful woman with goals beyond what others were willing to see. 

Overall, it was an outstanding performance that captured the emotion behind Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, and her writing. The play also conveys that Shelley projected her feelings, thoughts, and emotions into the monster created by Victor Frankenstein. Further, the cast maintained intense emotions while performing during both shows I attended. Finally, this play demonstrated the cast’s determination and hard work, both on stage and behind the curtains. Any future performances will be worth your while to attend!