“FLAT-OUT ASTONISHING…[Rebecca S’manga] Frank’s hypnotically sure performance as Elizabeth is the staging’s bright lodestar.” –The Washington Post
“A BONA FIDE MUST-SEE…Burns’s direction is first rate.” –DC Outlook
“HAIR-RAISING…It leaves audiences chilled to the bone.” –MD Theatre Guide
“BRILLIANT…Nick Westrate as Victor Frankenstein commands the stage.” –The Georgetown Dish
“A BLISTERING SUCCESS…Unabashedly intelligent, sumptuously visualized.” –The Washington Post
“BOLD…Soars with originality, relevance, and the making of a great new play.” –Stage and Cinema
“A STANDOUT…Perfectly captures the Gothic atmosphere, the struggle between creation and responsibility, and what family means.” –BroadwayWorld
“OUTSTANDING…A haunting, emotionally charged production.” –The Rogers Revue
Written and directed by Emily Burns
Based on the novel by Mary Shelley
Emily Burns (adaptor of STC’s Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing), reimagines Mary Shelley’s gothic science fiction masterpiece as a chilling exploration of the horror within humanity and what it means to create a new life.
This visceral and provocative production reveals the inner lives of Elizabeth and Victor Frankenstein in bold new ways. Burns’s Frankenstein rides the edge of cinematic thriller and intense drama, redefining the legend we know, the name we fear, and the monstrous act at the heart of the story.
Runtime: Approximately two hours and 20 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.
Playwright and Director: Emily Burns
Scenic Designer: Andrew Boyce
Costume Designer: Kaye Voyce
Lighting Designer: Neil Austin
Sound Designer/Composer: André Pluess
Projection Designer: Elizabeth Barrett
Wig & Hair Designer: Satellite Wigs, Inc.
Make-Up Designer: Ali Pohanka
Intimacy Consultant: Sierra Young
Dramaturg: Drew Lichtenberg
Voice and Dialect Coach: Lisa Beley
Resident Casting Director: Danica Rodriguez
Casting: Jason Styres
Assistant Director: Doug Robinson
Production Stage Manager: Laura Smith*
Assistant Stage Manager: Leigh Robinette*
Swing Assistant Stage Manager: Anthony O. Bullock*
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.
Rebecca S’manga Frank and Nick Westrate in Frankenstein.
Rebecca S’manga Frank in Frankenstein.
Anna Takayo in Frankenstein.
Rebecca S’manga Frank, Anna Takayo, and Nick Westrate in Frankenstein.
Nick Westrate in Frankenstein.
Rebecca S’manga Frank and Nick Westrate in Frankenstein.
Monroe E. Barnes and Rebecca S’manga Frank in Frankenstein.
Mila Weir in Frankenstein.
Photography by DJ Corey Photography, courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company.
To celebrate the close of WorldPride in D.C., enter PRIDE50 in the promo code box before selecting your seats to take 50% off tickets to the Sunday, JUN 8 evening performance of Frankenstein.
Additional Support
Anonymous
Production Sponsors
Anita M. Antenucci
Michael & Maureen McMurphy & the Patrick Michael McMurphy Memorial Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey Pohanka
Kathy & Mark Rondon
Share Fund
Frankenstein includes haze and fog effects, flashing and strobing lights, loud sounds, gunshots from a theatrical firearm, and disturbing themes. Click read more below for details and possible spoilers.
If you have any additional questions, please contact our Box Office at STCBox@ShakespeareTheatre.org or 202.547.1122 and we’ll be happy to give you more info.