This Saturday at the Weis Center, Manual Cinema spooked and stunned the audience with its intriguing multimedia performance of Frankenstein. The well-known story was conveyed in a unique, attention-grasping way which was able to captivate any lover of the arts. The show included live acting, orchestra and vocals, shadow work and puppetry, film, visual art, and sound effects. All of these elements brought the audience into the world of the story and allowed us to experience it in a new way. The Weis Center shook as the sound of thunder permeated through the space. It was fantastic to be able to see the actors live and on the screen as the media of live theatre and puppetry worked in harmony to heighten the drama and transport the audience into Frankenstein’s ominous realm. There was no spoken dialogue, however, many lines appeared on the projector as words so the spectators still had some idea of text. The actors were extremely expressive, both in their faces and in their movements, and we could see the range of emotions from love and loss to hope and wonder. This performance was a truly distinct and memorable experience that had something for everyone to enjoy.
-Katherine Leschner, Class of 2023