The new must-do event on your Halloween bucket list

This article was written for our sponsor, Carolina Ballet

Photo Credit: Marcelo Martinez, Carolina Ballet Principal Dancer Armes Photography

In Carolina Ballet’s Frankenstein, running now through October 29 at Fletcher Opera Theater, you know the precise moment when Victor Frankenstein’s curiosity takes a dangerous turn toward madness. And you can’t help but sit up and lean in as the events of the classic tale unfold in a way you’ve never seen before.

Carolina Ballet's Artistic Director and CEO Zalman Raffael originally choreographed the production in 2019. This is only the second time it has been put on stage. Through his artistry, Raffael ensured the story both remained true to the novel, which was published in 1818, and spoke directly to audiences today.

While the tale is unquestionably dark, and Carolina Ballet’s choices for setting, music, special effects and, yes, even a jump scare, make it a perfect outing for an October night, this production of Frankenstein does an impeccable job of mixing that horror with the beauty and longing of Mary Shelley’s timeless work.

“It’s interesting how a story that’s so old can still pertain to our lives today,” said Jan Burkhard, who plays Elizabeth, the love interest of Victor Frankenstein. Elizabeth is a name often forgotten in a tale that has been cinematically and cartoonishly portrayed in ways that veer drastically from the original work. “She was the type of person who everyone adored. She was naturally warm and supportive. When I approached her character in my movement, I was trying to portray a sweet, assured person.”

It is Burkhard’s hope that the audience will also grow to love Elizabeth, so they can feel the same horror Victor feels when a terrible (and gruesomely portrayed) tragedy befalls her. And through the audible gasps that rippled through the audience on opening night, Burkhard can be assured her hope was realized.

Marcelo Martinez, who portrays and originated the role of Frankenstein’s monster, hopes audiences understand that the creature’s journey is not so different from any other person’s.

“There is a very clear difference between creature and monster. When he’s a creature, he was just a being that was created. He’s just different. He becomes the monster as he reacts to this environment,” said Martinez.

The hauntingly beautiful music, composed by J. Mark Scearce, was commissioned for this original work, and guides the audience through a roller coaster of joy, hope, longing and despair.

The theme that sings throughout is a melodic representation of the desire to be loved. Martinez’s creature, through movement, takes his heart and repeatedly offers it, hoping anyone will accept it, desperate for someone to reciprocate.

“The story is really about love and trying to be accepted. I want people to see the transition of somebody who is lost. He was just looking for love, to be held, to be touched,” added Martinez.

In one of Burkhard’s favorite sections, the monster is trying to convince Victor to make him a bride. “The music starts and I get teary-eyed. It just struck a chord. The monster is just pleading, ‘I just want love’ and there’s so many ways to think of life when you see that.”

It is in moments like that where it’s clear that this is not simply a ballet company taking a classic tale and creating a production. This is a story that is enhanced through the medium of dance.

To further illustrate the point, after the creature is rejected, the ‘good’ on his shoulder leads him to witness what a loving interaction between father and son looks like. In a way that perhaps only the precision of ballet can express, we see how humans “learn what we live.”

In subtle motions and distinct choices, we watch the creature mimic the loving son, the son whose love is reciprocated by his blind father. As in the novel, only the blind man accepts the monster without prejudice. But that moment of hope is quickly dashed, and further rejection leads to the creature taking more steps to becoming a monster.

The set design and stunning visual effects, including script journal entries that help guide the audience through the timeline, both contribute in meaningful ways to the overall effect. The production transforms seamlessly from an arctic ship to a happy home all the way to a college classroom and sinister lab without a break in action or momentum.

Additionally, in a choice that helps contextualize the monster’s journey, the abstracts of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are portrayed by visually stunning veiled dancers whose movements are at times in sync and at others purposefully disjointed. You can’t help but root for the creature to turn toward the good choices despite the brutally represented rejection he faces. Ultimately, however, the story remains true to its roots and is not for the faint of heart.

If, however, you are ready to visit the true genius of Mary Shelley’s classic in a medium that expresses the pain and horror of the story like you’ve never seen before, you should put Carolina Ballet’s Frankenstein on your must-do list for Halloween season. Tickets are still available for shows through October 29.

This article was written for our sponsor, Carolina Ballet