ENCINITAS — The Grauer School’s theatre arts department recently performed Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” which will be celebrating its 207th anniversary on New Years Day 2025.
Inspired by a challenge from Lord Byron, “Frankenstein” was published on Jan. 1, 1818.
Grauer School high school students performed the adaptation of the classic story in November.
“We chose to present Frankenstein because it has a lot of interesting characters, with stories to be told for each of them. The Grauer School believes strongly that every student who wants to participate should be included and no one should be left out, and this play provided opportunities for all of our talented actors to have a meaningful role that was an integral part of the story,” said Erin Langen, Theatre Arts teacher and director of the play. “The process of curating and creating a show with my students is always equal parts exciting and stressful, with some inevitable challenges along the way while we work our way through together to find solutions for how to present the story in the best way. It’s a very collaborative process between me, the actors, and our supporting team.”
The Visual and Performing Arts Department collaborated to showcase the students’ talents from various disciplines. While theatre students took center stage, acting in and directing the performances, the visual arts students brought the world of the play to life by crafting props and designing set pieces.
The Film Studies department filmed the performance so that it could be shared with the broader community. Behind the scenes, the Audio-Visual department played a crucial role in ensuring that each performance was technically flawless, managing the lighting and sound to create the perfect atmosphere for every moment of the show.
“The stereotypical Frankenstein monster has been depicted in movies with green makeup and with bolts holding it together,” Langen said. “Our student makeup team took a very creative approach to design more natural makeup for the monster which highlights his humanity and vulnerability, while still showing that he is a monstrous creation through the lines on his face where the pieces were put together.”
According to Langen, the story of Frankenstein was ahead of its time with its understanding of both the benefits and dangers that come with creating something new.
“It showed the importance of creating a human connection so that the creation still had a soul and heart,” Langen said. “These same benefits and dangers are being explored now with new creations made from artificial intelligence and engineering and the lessons from Frankenstein should be explored with these new technologies.”
Following the play, Grauer students are also looking forward to the release of filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s much anticipated “Frankenstein” film adaptation in 2025 with Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as The Monster.
Learn more about The Grauer School by attending an upcoming Discover Grauer Tour, open to interested students and families. The next tour is on Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.
For more information about the tours and to RSVP for a tour, visit www.grauerschool.com.
