Sean Graney of The Hypocrites; photo courtesy of the artist.
Sean Graney of The Hypocrites; photo courtesy of the artist. |
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Museum
of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Avenue
312-280-2660
Chicago
The Hypocrites: Frankenstein
October 21-November 1, 2009
Just in time for Halloween, acclaimed Artistic Director Sean Graney and The Hypocrites take on Mary Shelley’s classic novel for an adventurous retelling of Frankenstein. Graney’s world-premiere production is performed in promenade, which places the audience onstage amidst the actors, and combines his inventive and poetic adaptation with the famous 1931 film starring Boris Karloff. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, presents The Hypocrites: Frankenstein, at the MCA Stage, October 21-November 1, 2009, with two special late-night performances for Halloween, Friday-Saturday, October 30-31, at 10 pm.
Inspired by the vast scope of Shelley’s novel and the ideas of inventors like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, Graney draws from a variety of literary sources for his adaptation, including Macbeth, Prometheus Bound, Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore by John Ford. Graney’s adaptation combines several historical versions of the gothic tale to craft a contemporary literary monster that captures the pure horror and chilling philosophy of creation carried out in the name of human advancement.
The cast for Frankenstein includes Hypocrites' company members John Byrnes, as Viktor, and Stacy Stoltz, as Elizabeth. Also appearing are Matt Kahler, as The Daemon, and Jessie Fisher, as Strange Girl, in their debuts with The Hypocrites. This play incorporates a giant screen that separates the theater seats from the stage and places the audience on stage with the four-actor cast, the set, and the props. The screen becomes a backdrop upon which the film is projected and runs the duration of the performance.
Sean Graney is the Artistic Director and Founder of The Hypocrites, and has directed most of The Hypocrites’ productions. Originally from Boston, he received his BFA in theater and writing from Emerson College. He has been nominated for several Joseph Jefferson Awards for his adaptations, and was awarded a Jeff Citation and an After Dark Award for his direction of Machinal by Sophie Treadwell. He is a current recipient of the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors. He was named Chicago’s Best Avant-Garde Director by Chicago Magazine and the Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoan of the Year in theater.
Founded in 1997, The Hypocrites are known for their groundbreaking role in presenting classics through innovative interpretation and staging. Having grown significantly in the past five years, the company has received acclaim for both The Threepenny Opera at the Garage Space at Steppenwolf and The Hairy Ape, produced in association with Goodman Theatre as part of its O’Neill Festival. The company’s smash-hit Chicago production of Our Town, directed by David Cromer, recently transferred to Off Broadway where it has received rave reviews during its New York run (currently extended into 2010). The company’s season features three mainstage productions, often presenting classics in a new light through innovative interpretation and staging. |
