by Priscilla Walker
On Valentine’s Day 2014 several SIATech students and I had the opportunity to watch the play Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. The play was a first for most students who haven’t had the chance to see a play live and in-person.
For these students, admission to the play was an essay about Frankenstein. They soon realized that Frankenstein was not about the square-headed, green-skinned monster with bolts on the side of his neck, but it was rather about a genius scientist who took the power of creation a bit too far. Several students weren’t sure what to expect at first, they asked several questions about the creature and about the play in general on the bus ride to the performance.
Ultimately, it was an exciting day for the students. They had the chance to dress up in their best and were shown a great performance. Learning the rules of going to a theater was also enjoyable; students picked up on the rules quickly and were transported to Frankenstein’s world.
SIATech High School student Austin Laraway stated, “[It] changed my perspective on plays.” Sitting in the audience the students and staff had the opportunity to talk with the theater representatives and ask questions about the performance. They were excited to hear that the performers would be interacting with the audience at some point during the play and gladly accepted front row center seats!
As Rebekah Padilla (another SIATech high school student) stated, “I loved it! There was great acting! For a moment I forgot they were real and they could see the audience. They were great actors.”
The play began with the monster coming to life. Watching him gain his footing was awkward, scary, and uncomfortable. Student Erick Guerrero summed it up best by saying, “I liked how I started. It was weird at first, but I liked how it showed how he came to life.”
The students were able to pick up on how giving life to this creature was abnormal. Nakia Simons said, “It was very breathtaking and at the same time scary. It was beyond what I expected.”
Watching the creature discover the world around him with innocence and child-like enthusiasm brought smiles to several of the student’s faces. Likewise, seeing how the creature was violently rejected after learning so much about the world brought a tear to a couple of student’s eyes.
In the end, the students were quite happy and enthusiastic to share their thoughts and opinions about the play. A lucky few were able to thank the theater staff for giving them the chance to see this novel come to life. Even luckier still, due to a late arriving bus, a few students were able to shake hands with Frankenstein himself and compliment his performance.
We were hopeful that we would see the actor who played the creature come out, so we could offer our praise, but alas we did not have that chance. As a chaperone I was glad to see, as student Mark Valdez stated, “[that the students] got to see real art, beauty, and performance that wasn’t just a movie.”
Going to the theater is a wonderful experience that I was glad to share with my students. I hope they will be able to visit the theater again.
Priscilla Walker is an instructor for SIATech at Inland Empire Job Corps Center.