Witness the mad doctor and his obsession with death! Behold the bride, fighting for control! Shudder at the fiend, searching for answers in a cruel world!
Do these things now at Oil Lamp Theater’s production of Frankenstein this October!
Located in Glenview, Oil Lamp brings the classic tale of life and death to the stage for your Halloween enjoyment. Directed by Elizabeth Lovelady and adapted by Vincent S. Hannam, the play features Jake Busse, Robert Dean, Stephanie Fongheiser, Laura Resinger, Johnny Garcia, and Emily Robinson-Dykstra.
The ensemble is tight and the direction brisk, ensuring both laughs and thrills. You may even be frightened at the first appearance of the Monster, played by Laura Resinger through impressive puppetry; the contraption itself was created by Krist Neumann, giving Stan Winston a run for his money. If the outward appearance of the Monster inspires fear, then what’s inside (literally Resinger inside the chest cavity) provides the curious beating heart that propels the character through his journey into the unknowns of life. Together, actor and puppet blend into one being; it is an uncanny effect that delivers sympathy and revulsion.
This adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has seen its own journey through the unknown. For the past several seasons, theaters have produced this rendition from Chicago to New England to Oklahoma. Shelley’s story has grown beyond just being one of my favorites to becoming a touchstone of my own creative passions. Its themes are endless and universal, speaking to our greatest hopes and fears about science, religion, love, family, life, death, power, identity… pick a message to ponder and you won’t have to look far.
Congratulations to the Frankenstein team at Oil Lamp Theater. It’s a tremendous achievement to bring such an epic tale to the stage. May the people of Chicago brandish their pitchforks and mob the theater to see for themselves!
Frankenstein by Vincent S. Hannam, adapted from the novel by Mary Shelley
Call for tickets at (847) 834-0738 or purchase online.
Box Office Hours: Tuesdays-Fridays from 12pm-5pm.
Oil Lamp Theatre: Click here for ticket info!
VINCENT HANNAM 