Frankenstein’s Funeral is an immersive play that takes a 40-person audience on an interactive journey of intrigue and heartache as Mary Shelley guides the story while bestowing personal insights on Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his creation.
The experience takes place at St. John’s Lutheran Church, a 105-year-old building that was once a private mansion, rich with Victorian architectural details that provide the perfect setting for this period piece.
At the start of this sorrowful tale, the audience members find themselves attending a funeral and wondering about the identity of the unfortunate soul inside the casket when the ominous church organ summons what appears to be the specter of Mary Shelley.
Confiding with the audience about her misgivings and regrets, Shelley soon beckons to follow her inside the immediately adjacent Victorian mansion, which stands as the setting of this journey into her novel imagination.
The format of the play assigns each chamber inside (and stations outside) the mansion to a significant chapter of the novel, starting with the creation of Frankenstein’s monster and continuing with the repercussions of this scientific experiment gone awry.
Each room featured live music (and a different piano!) beautifully performed and composed (in full costume) by music director Chris Gravely, amplifying the performances and adding tension to each scene.
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Foreboding lighting complemented the production design, and while there were minimal digital effects, it was refreshing to see the incorporation of tasteful practical effects throughout the production.
In fact, the most charming aspect of the play lies in all the unique silhouettes and textures, sleight of hand and magic tricks, that added a significant amount of meaning to every interactive detail and prop, moving the story forward.
Actors performed throughout the 360 space, incorporating dance and song, all while interacting directly with audience members, either by holding them or speaking with them and even inviting them to dance or handle props. For the more passive audience members, space exploration was highly encouraged and rewarded.
A beautiful Dance Macabre, Frankenstein’s Funeral delights with its ghostly hauntings this Halloween season. While the experience delves into gothic horror themes throughout, it is still enjoyable for anyone from start to finish, including non-fans of the horror genre.
Frankenstein’s Funeral runs from now until November 3 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Atlanta, GA. Tickets are $45–60 and available online.
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