Name: PCC Mainstage Theater presents “Frankenstein”
Start: 2026-10-16T19:30:00-07:00
End: 2026-10-16T21:30:00-07:00
Location: Center for the Arts Theater - Pasadena City College (CA 135)

PCC Mainstage Theater presents “Frankenstein”

Performing and Communication Arts

This classic tale of horror and suspense details the ill-fated life and death experiments of young Dr. Frankenstein.

Center for the Arts Theater - Pasadena City College (CA 135)

PCC Mainstage Theater presents “Frankenstein” - by Victor Gialanella; adapted from the novel by Mary Shelley; directed by Matt Braaten.  Seven performances: Friday, October 16 - Saturday, October 24 Show times: 2:00pm Matinee, and 7:30pm Evening Center for the Arts Theater - CA 135

Set in nineteenth-century Switzerland, this classic tale of horror and suspense details the ill-fated experiments of young Dr. Frankenstein as he attempts to fathom the secrets of life and death. Purchasing cadavers from two unsavory grave robbers, he give life to a creature both hideous and touching – and so physically powerful and mentally twisted that he soon brings death or destruction to all who stand in his way. Adhering more closely to the original novel than the famous motion picture versions, the play blends moments of brooding terror and sudden shock with questions of morality and the dangers of unrestrained scientific inquiry. - Frankenstein premiered on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on January 4, 1981. Directed by Tom Moore, the production featured David Dukes, John Seitz, Dennis Bacigalupi and John Glover.

About the Authors - Mary Shelley - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born in London on August 30, 1797, to William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, the feminist author of “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.” Her father was an author and politician, and throughout her childhood, he was a member of an intellectual circle that included Charles and Mary Lamb, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas Holcroft, and William Hazlitt. In 1812, Mary met the young poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when he visited her father, and in 1814, they eloped to France. They were married in 1816 after the death of Percy’s first wife. Together they wrote “History of a Six Weeks’ Tour Through a Part of France, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland, with Letters Descriptive of a Sail 'Round the Lake of Geneva, and of the Glaciers of Chamouni” (1817), an account of their travels. In June of 1816, the Shelleys moved to the banks of Lake Geneva, near the home of Lord Byron and Dr. John William Polidori. One evening, they all agreed to write horror stories, and Mary began writing “Frankenstein.” Percy encouraged her to turn the story into a novel, and in 1818, “Frankenstein” was published. Later that year, the Shelleys moved to Italy, where they remained until Percy’s death in 1822. During that period, two of their children died, and Mary suffered from a dangerous miscarriage. She also wrote the novels “Valperga” and “Mathilde,” which was not published until 1959. After Percy’s death, Mary and her only surviving child, Percy Florence, returned to England, where she focused on promoting Percy’s work and making his unpublished writings available. She also continued to write, publishing short stories and several novels, including “The Last Man,” “The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck,” “Lodore,” and “Falkner.” Mary died in London on February 1, 1851. Victor Gialanella - Victor Gialanella is an American television soap opera writer. Besides his work in daytime, he wrote the Broadway play FRANKENSTEIN in 1981, and served as a story editor for "Wavelength" in 1997. Television credits include "Days of Our Lives," "Guiding Light," "The Lodge," and "One Life to Live." Awards: Emmy ("Guiding Light"), WGA ("Days of our Lives").

Frankenstein is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Dramatists Play Service.  <a href="https://www.concordtheatricals.com" title="https://www.concordtheatricals.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.concordtheatricals.com</a>

This performance is presented to satisfy a portion of the requirements for Technical Theater (THRT 12A), Theater Rehearsal and Performance (THRT 029), Stage Techniques (THRT 030), and/or Fundamentals of Stage Lighting (THRT 041). -Content notice: This play is intended for an adult audience and it may contain adult language and situations. Recommended for mature audiences only.

PCC Mainstage Theater presents “Frankenstein”

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Center for the Arts Theater - Pasadena City College (CA 135)

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PCC Mainstage Theater presents “Frankenstein”

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Center for the Arts Theater - Pasadena City College (CA 135)

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