Frankenstein or A Modern Prometheus
Written by Zoe Senese-Grossberg after Mary Shelley
JACK | 20 Putnam Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
March 28 – April 5, 2025
Writer and director Zoe Senese-Grossberg’s retelling of Mary Shelley’s Gothic classic Frankenstein or A Modern Prometheus is a spectacle of a classic told in the most combustible, soul-clenching, and fuel-igniting way. For all those who love the timeless tale, The Firebird Project theatre company ensures new light is shed on enduring works. It is a company that has allowed Senese-Grossberg to take creative helm with bold and daring liberties.
From the moment we enter the theater until the final applause, the energy is electrifying. The four actors who comprise the entire show play several characters, pacing back and forth to shift scenes, sometimes changing characters right on stage, and even cleaning up spills—all while maintaining character before your eyes. The level of passion and fury in the actors is enough to light up the stage! Composer Wyatt Camery never misses a beat as he strums his electric guitar to the rhythm of the play, including sounds that amplify the effects of moments when mayhem breaks loose.
No details or elements are spared. Gender conformity bears no restraint. Our lead, Victor Frankenstein, is played by non-binary actor Sophie Falvey. Falvey’s command of Victor knows no bounds as they unfold the sheer madness of their very creation before their eyes. The actors embrace their characters with a depth and understanding of the time period they inhabit, speaking the complex period dialogue with ease.
The cantankerous Frankenstein, played by Benny Rendell, is in a thirsty rage to hold his maven—his creator, Victor Frankenstein—accountable for a life destitute of love, forced to thrive in a haven of loneliness. The play explores young Victor’s own bodily exploration as he seeks to make sense of his identity and carnal desires, venturing down a path less traveled to dissect and examine the human form.
Victor comes face to face with his love for Henry Clerval, played by Kamau Nosakhere, and Elizabeth Lavenza, played by Eli Wassertzug, clashing with the monstrous reality of his creation. With strobe lights, full-on nudity, gore, and horror, you will surely be thrilled and entertained as the beast within Victor becomes the very projection he releases into the world. Frankenstein or A Modern Prometheus is no longer bound by the constraints of platitudes or conformity but is allowed to break free from convention—just as Prometheus gave fire, this play ignites the fervor of our hearts.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Bianca Lopez.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 3rd, 2025. All rights reserved.