Manual Cinema
Frankenstein

Back by popular demand following its mesmerizing production of Ada/Ava in 2018, Chicago’s one-of-a-kind collective of musicians, composers, theater artists, and filmmakers captivates with its handmade and marvelously imaginative creations. Frankenstein, co-commissioned by Cal Performances, weaves together the plot of Mary Shelley’s gothic tale with themes of desire, birth, and loss from the author’s own biography—asking us to consider our responsibility to—and for—our modern-day creations. The company’s performers manipulate hundreds of paper puppets to create a silent animated film in real time, featuring live actors and an immersive score performed onstage by four musicians. For Cal Performances at Home, Manual Cinema has created a new iteration of its acclaimed Frankenstein production, made specifically for home viewing. “Ingenious…no matter where you look, you’ll find beauty and intrigue” (Chicago Sun-Times).

An Illuminations: Fact or Fiction event >