John M. Silah

631 East Bank Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 54935-2853, # (920) 923-1918,  jsilah@fdlct.com

"Frankenstein, a Gothic Romance"

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Staging Notes

    There are several categories of staging notes on this page, designed to help the people working on those different jobs in a production.  The Production Staff is listed on the "Frankenstein" page.  The hyperlinks here are listed in alphabetical order from left to right and top to bottom.  They will take you directly to the corresponding category below, which are also alphabetized, for quick and easy reference.

Authors

Mary Shelley

    The author of the original novel, "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus," a gothic romance, was Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley.  Shelley was born in 1797.  She was married to the famous poet, Percy Shelley.  She died in 1851.  John Silah's play, "Frankenstein, a Gothic Romance," was loosely based on Shelley's novel.

John Silah

    John Silah has been active in theatre in the Fond du Lac area for the past 14 years.  He has worked in almost all aspects of theatrical production.  He has served as Assistant Director, Billboard Designer, Poster Designer and sometimes Illustrator, Props, Publicity Writer, Light Board Operator, Lighting Designer, Set Designer, Sound Board Operator, and most often as Technical Director.  John's full list of credits can be found in his résumé.

    A member of the Fond du Lac Area Writers for the past 16 years, John has written many different things.  These include feature articles, theatrical reviews, press releases, a local TV series, a fashion show, and a children's radio play.  John's complete writing credits are listed on his résumé as well.  However, this is the first theatrical play that John has written, and also the first one that he is directing.

Calendar / Schedule

Rehearsal and Performance Schedule

Locations:

Color Codes:

Rehearsals are on the light-yellow colored dates.  Performances are on the light-orange colored dates.

Copyrights

Mary Shelley’s Original Novel, 1818

            Mary Shelley’s wrote her original novel, “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus” in 1818, over 185 years ago.  That means that it has been in the public domain for at least a century.  Therefore, anyone is free to use anything in that novel for anything they please, without having to obtain any permission from anyone, and without having to pay any royalty fees to any person or company.

Other Stories Based on Mary Shelley’s Novel

            Because it has been in the public domain for so long, many subsequent stories, plays and movies have been made from Mary Shelley’s material in the years since its publication.  Each of these has its own copyright, which can be renewed once, so that it normally lasts, these days, about 75 years.  Legal actions in recent years have extended these rights, so a public domain check must be made to determine whether or not that particular entity is in public domain or not.

            Therefore, nothing that exists in any subsequent “Frankenstein” story copyrighted in the last 75 years can be used without written permission from that author, or, most likely, the copyright holder, which is usually a play publication company.  Such a company will typically charge a fee, if they decide to lease the rights at all.

"Frankenstein, a Gothic Romance,"  2003

    This new retelling of the tale is copyrighted by its author, John Silah.  The play is available for use, and the royalties are very inexpensive.  Despite its high quality, the royalty rates are comparable to the other Frankenstein scripts available.  Contact the author for details.  The complete contact information is at the top of this page.

Costumes

    The time period of the play ranges from 1818 to 1836.  This creates a challenge for a costume designer.  However, the costumes themselves are not as critical as, for example, the lighting is for this particular story.  So most theatre troupes will find most of what they need in their costume closets.

    Many things can be quite simple.  A white lab coat will suffice for both Victor and, in all scenes but his first, for Robert as well.  A suit will work for Henry, or even just a white shirt and dress pants.  Workman's clothes will be fine for the Luddites, perhaps supplemented with a leather apron.  Simple dresses will suffice for the female characters.  If more authentic costumes are available and they fit the actors, they will add to the style of the play.  The story does not demand anything elaborate for any of the characters.

    One thing needed is something to give the illusion that Elizabeth is very pregnant in the first scene, "Two Arrivals," since she is supposed to give birth to her son, William, at the end of that scene.  A pillow may do, if it is shaped properly, but something more authentic-looking would be better.

    One or two black arm bands.  One for Victor and perhaps one for Henry, as well.

    Cloth bandages for William's head (or a pre-formed, bandage skull cap).  Cloth bandages for Ned's ribs.

Furniture

1. A fireplace is against one wall (there was no central heating in this era) with logs burning (a special effect, of course, not a real fire). 

2. On one side of the fireplace is a log holder with extra logs

3. On the other side is a stand with the usual fireplace tools: a fire poker, a shovel and a broom

4. A wooden desk, large enough for a large journal and a desk lamp, with at least one drawer in which the gun box will fit

5. A wooden desk chair behind the desk, for Victor

6. Two wooden chairs in front of the desk, for patients and visitors

7. A bookcase containing bound, hard-cover reference books, mostly medical

8. A wooden shelf or cabinet for the medicines, and for the bottle that they use for the toast ("The Pact")

9. A hospital-type bed, and/or a gurney.  It should be able to be level during the operation, and then to incline the actors’ upper bodies into a slightly upright, almost sitting position, so that the audience can see the actors’ faces.  A hospital bed or gurney will probably have the ability to raise and lower like that, but if not, it may be necessary to build a removable wedge or to design some other device to accomplish it.

10. A wooden wash stand containing a wash basin, a pitcher and two cloth towels

11. A wooden workbench.  This must have a hidden power strip, and a black electrical extension cord, so that the stage crew can plug it in, after they move it to its place on the stage, to provide electric power to the equipment

12. A small, wooden table to store the scientific equipment on until Michael builds the new workbench and Robert moves it over to the workbench

Historical Facts

    There is a great historical context to this play.  The Luddites were not in the original novel, yet their addition to this version , for example, lends the play some authenticity.  It also provides an additional educational aspect, affording the opportunity to spark an interest in history in those students involved in a production.

“Frankenstein,” the Novel

    Over the last 185 years since its original publication, Mary Shelley's novel, “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus,” a gothic romance, has been published many times.  There have been various editions printed from 1818 through the present time.

The University of Ingolstadt

    The University of Ingolstadt was, and still is, a real university.  It is located in central Germany.  It was established in 1472, and later moved to Munich in 1826.  (Source: The American Peoples Encyclopedia)

William Frankenstein

    In Mary Shelley’s original novel, William was Victor’s brother, not his son.  The character was changed to Victor and Elizabeth’s son in order to create a greater emotional connection between the characters, especially after the creation of “the creature.”

Ned Ludd

    “Ned Ludd,” a.k.a. “King Ludd” a.k.a. “General Ludd”

    “Ned Ludd was the fictitious leader of the Luddites and the name by which each individual Luddite was known.  The name may be derived from Ned Ludlam, a half-witted stocking-maker's apprentice, who lived around 1779 and is said to have broken a mechanical stocking frame.”  (Source: Malcolm Bull’s Trivia Trail on the Internet)

The Luddite Riots

    The Luddite riots started in 1810 and ended in approximately 1815.  Many Luddites were hanged as a result of the riots.

Historical Characters

    The Luddites in this new play are named after real-life, historical characters who were believed to be Luddites.  The exception is Ned Ludd (see above), who is probably a historical fiction, rather than historical fact.  The name was created by the Luddites.  It is possibly a corruption of Ned Ludlam's name.  It was most likely used to conceal their true identities to prevent reprisals.

The Set

    In theatrical terms, one large room setting such as this is commonly called a “box set.”  The French Doors are important because of their windows, which allow us to see into the courtyard.  This allows us to see the sky, which opens up the set and, more importantly, allows us to "paint" the sky with different colored light for psychological effect (see Lighting below).

Enoch

    “The name, ‘Enoch,’ comes from Enoch Taylor, who, with his brother James invented a perpetual shearing machine which put so many croppers out of work.  The brothers also invented a heavy hammer – hence the name and rhyme.”  (Source: Malcolm Bull’s Trivia Trail on the Internet)

The Luddite Chant

    “As Enoch makes ‘em, so Enoch breaks ‘em,” was the traditional chant of the Luddites, as they set out to destroy machinery.  (Source: Malcolm Bull’s Trivia Trail on the Internet)

Lighting

    The lighting in this play is very important.  The subject matter and context lends itself to lurid, saturated colors, which becomes an unusual creative opportunity for a lighting designer.  The number of lighting instruments needed to achieve the effects in the play will create a challenge for the designer.

    The lighting helps to create a mood, but in this play, in some cases it even goes beyond that.  There are some psychological effects to the color choices.

    Green is a color with many meanings.  In a nature setting, it denotes greenery, growth, life.  Context can change its meaning, however.  The greenish color used during the "Nightmare or Premonition" scene denotes oddness, eeriness, unreality and even horror.

    Blackness can mean more than night.  The black night sky with its stars and moon (optional special effects) in the "Return" scene will give an air of mystery to that scene.

    The sunset colors in the sky during the "Confrontations" scene cross-fade from a golden orange to a vivid blood red.  They reflect the changes in the moods or emotions of the characters.  In the beginning of the scene, when we see that Ned has recovered, the golden orange gives a cheeriness to the scene.  As the scene progresses, however, it slowly cross-fades to a blood red.  Red evokes anger and sadness, subconsciously reflecting the moods of the characters.  The Luddites feel anger at Victor for his desecration of the dead, and for his creating a "monster."  Victor feels profound sadness about the task that he feels he must do, in ending the "life" he gave to the creature.  Then, at the end, when the crisis has subsided, the colors should fade out, just as those strong emotions do.

Make-up

    Most of the make-up will be standard theatrical make-up, used by most productions to darken the actors' faces so that the bright stage light doesn't make them appear too pale.

"The Creature"

    The exception is "the creature" (William), of course.  This will vary according to the scene.

    The first scene in which "the creature" appears is the "Dream or Premonition" scene.  This will be the only time that the make-up will appear to be gruesome.  There will be scars criss-crossing his face, in a patchwork type pattern.  The idea is to make it look as if the face were stitched together from pieces, like a quilt.

    In all of the subsequent scenes, there will be either a cloth bandage, or only a couple of scars on William's forehead, to indicate where his head has been operated on.

The Movie Versions

    At no time can the make-up ever be any of the movie versions.  They are all copyrighted.  Also, they do not fit this new version of the story.

     Universal Studios in particular has copyrighted their version of the creature character, and is quite vigilant about protecting its rights.  This is the creature characterized by green skin, a high, square forehead and bolts through its neck.  Do not use any of those characteristics.  The rights from Universal would be very expensive to obtain, if Universal would consent to it at all.  It does not fit the creature character in this play in any case.

Music

    Most non-musical plays usually only use music during pre-show and intermission.  However, this play has two scenes in which music can be used in the background of the scene itself, to enhance the mood of the scene, to create an emotional effect.  For both, the music should be something in the classical genre to fit the period and the gothic style of the play.  Something in the public domain would save a lot in royalty costs.

    Those two scenes are:

1. "Nightmare or Premonition" (Act I, Scene 2) during the dream sequence

2. "The Creation" (Act I, Scene 6) during the montage portion

Nightmare Music

    For the first, the dream sequence in "Nightmare or Premonition," the music may be almost atonal, yet it should set a mysterious and/or dark, even macabre mood.  A dream-like or nightmarish quality would be ideal.

Music to Create By

For the second, the montage portion of "The Creation" (the operation), the music should drive the sequence, giving it some audio movement.  Something with a slow but relentless rhythm.

Pre-show and Intermission

Some of the same music used in the above two scenes can be used for both Pre-show and Intermission, however, if something more grand, bold and evocative can be found, it could lend the entire production a more dynamic appeal.  Something to set the tone, so to speak, for such a production as this.

Other Frankensteins

    There have been many different productions based on "Frankenstein" since Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley wrote the original novel.  A few of them are listed below, in alphabetical order by title.

Props

Act I

Act I, Scene 1, "Two Arrivals"

1. One newspaper for Victor to read at his desk

2. One fireplace tool stand, with the usual fire tools: a poker, a shovel, a broom and a dustpan

Act I, Scene 2, "Nightmare or Premonition"

1. A pillow and a sheet for "Elizabeth."

Act I, Scene 3, "A Death"

1. A plant in a small enough pot that it will fit on the fireplace mantle

2. A pocket watch (not a wrist watch), for Victor to time his patients’ heart rates

3. Several corked, labeled, glass medicine bottles on be put on the medicine shelf

4. Some tablets or capsules (period?) in a large bottle, some of which Victor puts into a smaller bottle

5. A large, cloth-bound medical journal (to be put on the desk)

Act I, Scene 4, "The Pact"

1. One bottle of whiskey, but with iced tea instead.  Don't give the actors alcohol (they're driving...the story!)  There should be no label on the bottle, or one that is not recognizable as contemporary.  Something could be made up on the computer and placed on an unlabeled bottle, or a decanter can be used instead.

2. Three or more whiskey glasses for the toast.  Must be real glass; do not use plastic for two reasons: 1)  So that they will make a realistic "clink" sound when the characters make their toast, and 2)  In case one drops.  There was no plastic until World War II, so the audience would laugh if a plastic glass went bouncing on the stage.

Act I, Scene 5, "The Injury"

1. One wooden toolbox for Michael, filled with basic carpenters’ tools of the period

2. One smith's hammer for Michael, capable of pounding a nail into the workbench

3. A large, cloth-bound experiment journal (on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

4. Cloth-bound, hard-cover reference books, mostly medical (to be put on the bookcase)

5. A Jacob’s ladder ? (on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

6. One or more Bunsen burners ?, preferably with a beaker or test tube mounted above each one  (on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

7. One or more racks of glass test tubes  (on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

8. One or more glass beakers, jars, etc. with glass stoppers or corks  (on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

9. One large glass jar with a human hand inside of it, suspended in greenish liquid (to simulate formaldehyde), and with a removable cloth cover over it  (on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

10. A stack of papers, with handwritten notes on one or two of them (Victor’s scientific notes - on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

11. One or more fountain pens  (at least one should be on Victor’s desk, and at least one should be on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

12. One or more pencils in a pencil-holder (container)  (on the table, and then Robert puts it on the workbench)

13. One wire, hanging down from the ceiling

14. One silver tray, with a metal lid to keep food warm, that Margaret brings in

Act I, Scene 6, "The Creation"

1. Several steel surgical instruments, which probably would have come from Germany  (to be put on the workbench)

2. A washbasin, a water pitcher and two cloth towels

Act II

Act II, Scene 1, "Failure"

Act II, Scene 2, "Escape"

1. A scrapbook that Margaret shows to William, and that he swats away.

Act II, Scene 3, "Return"

Act II, Scene 4, "Confrontations"

1. A wooden box with a pistol inside

2. At least four (5) additional heavy smith hammers, the ones that the Luddites carry, that they call “Enoch.”

Publicity

    This play is ripe with possibilities for good publicity.  The key to getting good, free publicity is to make sure that each Press Release contains real news.  The opportunities for news are as follows:

1. The New Season Announcement: the announcement of the new theatre season.  This should list all three or four productions that the troupe plans to stage for the year, the performance dates and curtain times, who is directing each show, and any other information of interest to the public about the shows themselves.

2. The Audition Announcement: the announcement of the try-outs.  This must list the times, places and the parts needing to be filled.  It should also contain a line about how no parts have been pre-cast, and that the auditions are open to anyone.  It should refer to the web site for further details.

3. The Casting Announcement: the announcement of who has been cast in the play.  This should list all of the cast members,  which parts they will play, and possibly some of the actor's background, experience, etc.

4. Human Interest Stories: Anything that is news, or would be of interest to the public, in the opinions of the newspaper editors.  Some possibilities for this particular would include the following:

   1. Firsts:  Firsts are always news.  In this particular production, there are many.  It is the first time any Fond du Lac Community Theatre member has written a play for a regular season production.  And it follows, therefore, that it must be the first time any Director has directed his own script for a regular season production.  It is no doubt the first time a Halloween Party has been held in conjunction with any regular season show.

   2. The script: There are many things about the show's script that are new.  It is probably the most literate of the Frankenstein scripts.  It is likely the only Frankenstein script to incorporate the Luddites.

   3. The Halloween Party.  Any party or celebration or anniversary (except the cast party) is news and can be written about.  For this production, the Halloween Party can be announced, rules listed, etc.

       One of the human interest stories should be timed to be released about a week before the performances begin.  This will give us the opportunity to remind the public that the show is coming up, and list the performances, times, etc.

Tag Lines

    Here are some possible tag lines or headlines that could be used on publicity materials, such as posters, table tents, billboards, etc.  They are listed below in order by size, from the longest to the shortest:

1. A bold retelling of the classic tale, brimming with heart-pounding suspense and emotional impact

2. The story that has fired our imaginations for 185 years is now retold for a new era

3. The classic story, with a new twist that changes everything

4. It's Frankenstein as you've never seen it before

5. It's Frankenstein, but with heart and soul

6. Breathes new life into an old classic

7. Still scary after all these years

Set Decoration

The Office Area

    Victor's medical office area contains the following items:

The Laboratory Area 

    At the beginning of "The Creation Scene," the small table contains the following:

Set Description

Inside Setting

    Box Set:  The entire play is set in just one large room.  The room is a guesthouse which Victor Frankenstein has converted into his medical office and then, later on, into his scientific laboratory as well.

    It is located in London, England.  The switch in locale from the novel was necessitated by the addition of the Luddites to the story.  They would likely only be in a heavy manufacturing city.  It also makes the speaking of English a natural thing, and it eliminates the need for Swiss/German accents.

Outside

   There is a set of French doors at the back of the room, roughly in the center of the stage, through which a courtyard can be seen and, beyond that, off to one side, a small portion or corner of the main house.  Some foliage and a portion of the sky are also visible through the doors.  A brick wall along the cyc wall is optional, as is a cityscape of 1818 London.  If time and budget permit, the cityscape could have windows which can be lit during the night scenes (except for the dream scene).

    The side door on stage left leads to a separate room, which is Victor’s Examination Room.  This room cannot be seen through the door.  It apparently contains one or two beds.  It is for private examinations, and serves as a resting place for Victor's patients.

Special Effects

    The special effects, or SFX for short, in this play are differentiated from the Lighting effects, although some of them use lighting.  They include the optional fog, the optional moon, and the optional stars, as well as the laboratory effects.

Nature

    Most of the nature effects in the play are optional.  They will enhance the production tremendously, but are not absolutely necessary.  Some kind of lightning effect, however, is necessary to spark the resurrection of the creature.

    The fog can be either the old-fashioned, dry ice variety, or the newer chemical foggers.

    The moon can be a simple circular cut-out from some white Styrofoam.  Or even simpler, a stationary spotlight projected on the back wall or cyc.  Both (a spotlight projected onto the styro) would be best yet.

    The stars can be projected as simply as reflecting pin spots off of a mirror ball without rotating it.

    The sunset effect, of course, can be simply floodlights on the back wall or cyc, colored with gels (color filters).

    The lightning effect during "The Creation" scene accomplished using a few different techniques.  Any one or two of these techniques may be enough, but the more that are used, the better and more convincing the effect will be.

    The first, and most common, technique is the flashing of light.  This is accomplished by using a few strategically-placed instruments with bright, white light.  The dimming of the stage lights will enhance this effect tremendously, of course.  That is one reason that Frankenstein turns off the indoor lights during that scene.

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