Whether on page, stage or screen, Frankenstein has proven to be the eternal story, largely because of its brilliant alchemy to be both timeless and timely. It offers themes of universal human experience that art has been wrestling with since antiquity, and of how to grapple with the ethical dimensions of science and technology that refresh the story for every generation.
A handful of writers, artists, scientists, and Frankenstein true believers will be gathering on the campus of UCSC this month for a remarkable celebration of a remarkable story. FrankenCon is a three-day conference on the rich legacy of Frankenstein, which kicks off with a double-feature of the classic James Whale films from the 1930s, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, at DNA’s Comedy Lounge on Nov. 21. That will be followed by two days of on-stage discussions on campus with a number of people in fields as diverse as the arts, media, astrophysics, genomics, and academia.
FrankenCon also coincides with a two-weekend run of Kirsten Brandt’s original adaptation The Frankenstein Project at Theater Arts Mainstage at UCSC, playing for seven performances Nov. 15-24. The play is a reinvigoration of Shelley’s tale recast with female leads as Dr. Frankenstein and the Creature.
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