STORY BY CORIE LYNN
Throughout October and into November, displays showcasing interpretations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the history of the novel have been visible around Forsyth Library. These displays describe everything from the life of Shelley to Dr. Frank-N-Furter of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to the 1960s cartoon Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles.
Forsyth, however, had more planned for the iconic science-fiction novel.
On November 12, the Aquila Theatre performed Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a part of FHSU’s Encore Series.
Before the play began that evening, Forsyth hosted a party that included refreshments as well as activities centered on the novel.
In an interview, Instruction and Outreach Librarian Cyndi Landis explained that part of the excitement of the evening’s events is due to this year being the 200th anniversary of Shelley’s Frankenstein.
However, the party was also held to give those in attendance background knowledge before they watched the play later that evening.
One of the ways they did this was by inviting the Aquila cast to the library for the party.
During this time, everyone in attendance was able to meet several of the cast members. This included Caroline Moroney who played Dr. Walton and the Barrister, Rober Madeley who played the Monster, and Jack Klaff who played Alphonse Frankenstein, John Polidori, and Mr. DeLacey. Both Moroney and Madeley stayed at the library to answer questions before the show.
The main event of the Frankenstein party was a series of presentations given by FHSU faculty from the English and History Departments with each presenter informing the audience on a different aspect of the novel.
The first presentation was given by Dr. Matthew Smalley, Assistant Professor of English.
The perspective Dr. Smalley gave was on the humanity (or lack thereof) of Frankenstein’s creature. This included citing when Victor Frankenstein stopped referring to his monster as a human as well as how the creature’s physical appearance caused society to reject him.
The second presentation, given by Dr. Lexi Bartlett, Associate Professor of English, was on the life of Mary Shelley. During this time, Bartlett discussed how real tragedies in Shelley’s life might have inspired themes in the novel and even the deaths of certain characters.
According to Landis, it was also Dr. Bartlett’s Romantic Literature class that created the library’s displays showing Frankenstein in popular culture.
Dr. Kim Perez, Associate Professor of History, gave the final presentation on how the science of Shelley’s time is present in the novel. According to Perez, though Shelley did not explicitly state how the creature was brought to life, it’s possible that Shelley was inspired by her contemporaries’ study of electricity on the body.
The presentations concluded the festivities at the library, though many attendees saw the Aquila production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein following the party.
The play itself closely followed the novel, but it began with the account of the inception of the story: it came to Shelley in a dream. Afterwhich, she, her husband Percy Shelley, and the poet Lord Byron had a competition to write a horror story; Mary Shelley chose to write Frankenstein based on the dream she’d had.
This, as well as the events of the story, was clearer to many audience members due to the events held at Forsyth Library. Though the celebration of Frankenstein’s anniversary is a once in a lifetime event, it is thanks to the library and FHSU staff that more people have a greater understanding of one of the greatest works in science fiction.