DISCUSS

• Can you think of a time in your life when you “overreached” like Victor Frankenstein - when you took on a project or an initiative that was perhaps too big or too audacious, despite your own or others’ misgivings? What were the results and consequences? What did you learn from the experience?

• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein grew out of some of the challenges or traumas of her own life - the death of an infant, her tumultuous relationship with Percy Shelley, and more. What two or three incidents from your own life might inspire a creative and new story? Would that be a horror story or some other type of tale? What would it be called?

• Can you think of someone or something that you’ve misunderstood, like The Creature? A person, place, or experience that you initially found scary or terrifying that actually turned out to be different than expected? How did you initially react and respond? What changed that? What did you learn from the experience?

  

Rituals of Remembering

If you were able to join us for our talk back with Dr. Brandy Schillace on October 31st, you got to see her speak on Mary Shelley's conveyance of grief as an isolating event. While offering her expertise on a wide range of subjects, Dr. Schillace shared some of her research into grieving rituals. To engage with more of Dr. Brandy Schillace's work, take a look at her website.

A big thank you to Dr. Brandy Schillace for joining us, for entertaining us, and for teaching us - it was a terrific night! Join us for all of our pre and post show programming, noted in the performance calendars on our printed literature and on our website.

What strikes the heart of those who have watched or read any iteration of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is its potent theme of grief. Mary Shelley aptly cautions against the dangers of excessive grief and isolation - a path that Victor and the Creature endure to ruinous lengths.

As part of our preparation for this production, we did some fascinating research into how different cultures navigate grief, offering a wider global lens onthe subject. Some elements of this research can be seen in our production while others offer alternative and unique insights to the grieving process.

Sky Burial - In Tibet there is the predominantly Buddhist practice that translates to “giving alms to the birds.” In this practice, the remains of the deceased are laid out and scattered at a point of higher elevation for birds to consume and help elevate the soul to the heavens.

Hanging Coffins - In parts of China and Indonesia, another practice of stationing ancestral remains at high altitudes occurs. The practice originated with the Igorot people in the Philippines. The custom calls for an individual to carve their own coffin from hollowed logs and, upon their death, their coffin will be hung from the side of a cliff or cave. The height of the coffin's position reflects the height of their station in life with the goal that it will help secure an elevated position for the person in the afterlife.

Benguet Wake - In the Philippines, particularly in the Benguet region and tradition, deceased loved ones are clothed in familiar or favorite garments and posed sitting in a chair blindfolded. For eight days, loved ones come to visit, and on the eve of the funeral, there is a narration of the deceased’s life story.

Famadihana - In Madagascar the Malagasy people partake in a ritual of “the turning of the bones” or “dancing with the dead." This is a ritual where an ancestor's bones are exhumed from the familial crypt seven years after a body’s burial so that it can be rewrapped in cloth that will be marked with the deceased’s name. This is followed by a sort of parade and carrying of the body by members of the family. This ritual is accompanied by a speech made in the remembrance of the dead. The ritual serves as a reminder of the ancesttor's life story while also contributing to the body’s decomposition for a smoother transition into the afterlife.

Fantasy Coffins - In celebration of the life and death of loved ones, the southern Ghana tradition of fantasy coffins turns the grieving process into an artform. The custom transforms coffins into all sorts of sculptural shapes (animals, modes of transportation, foods, and more) to honor the profession and life of those who will be buried in them. In Ghana, fantasy coffin construction is more than a business and more than a burial; the burying of the deceased is a celebration of the life that was lived, complete with dancing, delicious food, and good wishes.

Other Cross Cultural Practices - A wide range of cultures and rituals endorse practices of hiding reflective surfaces and putting away pictures or photographs of people. The purposes vary slightly, but in a broad sense, these practices seek to ensure the soul or spirit of the deceased does not seek a new host or vessel and is stewarded smoothly to the afterlife. To some, it may sound like superstition, but for others, it is a final act of respect and generosity one can pay to those who are transitioning to the afterlife.

What these rituals share is their connection to the community - grieving the loss of life is a shared burden, and in more cases than not, a shared opportunity for celebration for the life well-lived. The commemoration and ritual of these communal practices prevent a sense of isolation that so often comes with mourning and grief.

Today, isolation has become more and more prominent in the wake of the Covid epidemic. It has historically been during times of plague and social isolation that practices and rituals such as these die out. What are the ways we can build and foster community in times of grief, heeding the warning of Mary Shelley? How can we avoid the pitfalls of Victor Frankenstein, spiraling into his necromantic obsession, so that we can find healthier paths in stewarding our grief and the memories of those who pass?

Steven King outlines that there are three levels to the Horror genre, the greatest of which is Terror: the manipulation of one’s imagination to such a degree that that which is unseen, unnamed, and unknown can cause the greatest sense of fear.

Well, the best weapon to conquer that terror and that fear is to illuminate that which is unknown. Right here in Cleveland is a unique museum that seeks to do just that. Behold the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick. Buckland is the very first museum of its kind in this country, and one that seeks to offer an anthropological lens to folklore and the supernatural.

“When every major city seems to have a storefront with shrunken heads and serial killer art, the Buckland Museum stands out for its creditable collection and bona-fide novelty.” -Roadside America

In this season of haunts and hallows, check out the folklore, the culture, and the histories of witchcraft and magick; learn more about these subjects that have terrified and fascinated for centuries.

As partners with CPH, Buckland has graciously offered our patrons a discount to the ticketed admission price. Use this code (FrankCPH23) to get your discount at www.bucklandmuseum.org.

Victor Frankenstein’s Creature is one of the all-time favorite ghoulish characters invoked during the Halloween season. This October, we’d love to see your favorite! Share a picture of your favorite Halloween character/costume get-up from seasons past. What was the costume that earned you legendary status (or maybe an affirming chuckle) from family, friends, and colleagues?

Tag #CPHFrankenstein and #CPHMaryShelley to see the other favorite ghoulish creations from our community.

Are you more of a Mary or a Victor?

For the Poets and Writers:

You too can dive fiercely into the world of story-telling just like Mary Shelley and her compatriots at the Villa Diodati. In fact, you scarcely need more than a few words. Challenge yourself and see if you can compose a story in just three words. Here are a few we came up with around the office:

Grandma has escaped!

My reflection winked-

The crib’s empty…

Count the shadows...

Sale: fresh bones

Huddle indoors with your own group and see who can tell the most terrifying tale.

For the Monster Makers and Drawers:

Maybe you’ve got an inkling more like Victor - let your imagination and your hands do the work and explore this craft of monster creation. Construct and create your very own monster with friends or family members. This is an activity devised in the 1920s by the surrealist art/performance movement (originally called the “exquisite corpse”) and was designed to foster collaborative creation and intuitive expression. Here’s how it works:

• Take a piece of paper and fold it into four equal parts in the same direction. (ie. Make four hot dog folds OR four hamburger folds, don’t rotate or swap the orientation of the folds.)

• Draw on the top section of the paper to create the head of an imaginary character or creature.

• Extend the neck (or whatever it has for a neck) down just below to the top of the next section on the paper.

• Fold your image back to conceal it.

• Pass the paper on to a friend or family member. Keep your image hidden and have them draw a body to the neck that extends into their section.

• Extend the body just to the very top edge of the next section.

• Now repeat! Pass the paper to a third person, concealing the first two sections of the page, and have them add the legs.

• Repeat! Then hide that section and pass to a fourth person to add the feet. Remember to draw lines over the fold into each new section so the following person knows where to start.

• Unfold the page and reveal your very own monster creation!