[NEohioPAL] Halloween mayhem: Franklin Stein's Project

[James Kosmatka]

Cleveland State University

STAGE

presents.

Franklin Stein's Project

.com <http://www.franklinsteinsproject.com/> 

October 29th-November 1st

216.687.2109

 


Within the noisy halls of Geneva County High you will notice a young boy.  


His name is Franklin Stein. 


By the time you notice him, It will be too late. 


Frankie spent his entire school career being ridiculed and abused by his
peers, while his teachers turned a blind eye. 


Today is the science fair.  


Today Frankie will give them all a project they will never forget.  


A walking, towering, manifestation of the horrific cruelty that is "the high
school experience."


Today, Frankie will have his revenge.


About the Show


After the success of last year's stage adaptation of Night of the Living
Dead, the creative team (S.T.A.G.E) was tasked with adapting another
pop-culture classic into a ninety-minute horror trip. Frankenstein was on
the top of our list. Not only is Mary Shelley's novel a frightful,
intellectual, and exciting  piece of literature, but the image of
Frankenstein's monster is enshrined in the hallowed halls of pop culture.
But how does one shed new light on it? Trying to encapsulate Shelley's novel
into ninety minutes would be foolish, and the 1931 Boris Karloff film is so
iconic, and has been parodied so many times that any attempt to draw
directly from it would be more cutesy than scary. However, we obviously
could not ignore them. What we drew from them were themes such as obsession,
the corruption of genius, and the retaliation against the laws of man.  What
now?  Where can the symbol that represents these themes exist in our modern
day adaptation? How do we honor Shelley's brilliance while making a
ninety-minute crowd-pleaser? Through a casual chat, two CSU students, Lew
Wallace and Living Dead co-director John Paul Soto, accidentally stumbled
upon their concept: high school. They would not literally adapt Frankenstein
from Shelley but rather use the symbolic characters as a device to comment
on something new: the cruelty of high school hierarchy and the prevalence of
violence as a solution-Mary Shelley meets a high school teen horror flick.
Over a period of months Wallace and Soto developed this work along with a
team of student designers to bring Franklin Stein's Project to life,
marrying the horror/camp genre with the disturbing themes that ground it.
Welcome, and enjoy.


The Oresteia


 

An ancient tale spanning generations, Aeschylus's The Oresteia recounts the
bloody curse befalling the House of Atreus in mythic Greece, where petty
gods demand unspeakable sacrifices, faithless spouses seek bloody
satisfaction, and tender mercy is a scarce commodity.  The only complete
Greek trilogy in existence, The Oresteia will blend timeless tales of
heroism and horror with an eclectic modern style.

 

The Oresteia opens November 12th and will be directed by CSU professor Allan
Byrne (CSU: The Birthday Party, CSF: Richard III).


Tickets: Now Available


 

Ticket prices are $10 general admission, $5 for seniors, students and CSU
faculty/staff. 

Thursday         10/29:  8:00pm

Friday              10/30:  8:00pm and Midnight

Saturday          10/31:  8:00pm and Midnight

Sunday            11/01:  7:00pm

 

Box Office at (216) 687-2109

.         1833 East 23rd Street

.         Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

.         More info: http://www.csuohio.edu/theater/

.         Parking: East 24th St. between Chester & Payne, Lot S1

 

Franklin Stein's Project

By John Paul Soto and Lew Wallace

Directed by John Paul Soto

October 29-November 1

 

The Oresteia  

By Aeschylus

Directed by Allan Byrne

November 12-22 

 

Hansel and Gretel, A Puppet Show

By Gene Hare         

Directed by Lydia Chanenka and Justin Steck

December 5, 6, 11, 12 (All performances at 2pm)

 

Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/csudrama> 

Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/csudrama> 

 

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