Senior Justin Reid as the Creature in UMF’s production of Frankenstein. Submitted Photo
FARMINGTON — University of Maine Farmington officially wrapped its production of Frankenstein on Mar. 5. The play, written by Nick Dear and based on Mary Shelley’s gothic novel of the same name ran for four days [From Mar. 2 to Mar. 5] in Alumni Theater on the Farmington campus.
Directed by Jayne Decker, mainstage director of Alumni Theatre and faculty in performing arts, the production was cast early in the fall to help actors prepare for a challenging physical performance and extensive fight choreography.
On the musical side of the production, junior Emily Moore was tasked with composing the score accompanying the production. “I really enjoy writing music and telling stories without words and being able to practically write the story of Nick Dear’s Frankenstein was seriously amazing,” she said.
“It was a draining process but ultimately worth it because of the final product that I am very proud of,” she added.
Majoring in music with a minor in theatre, Moore aspires to score films and looks up to composers such as John Williams and Hans Zimmer. This production certainly challenged her to take it to the next level.
“The size of the project was definitely the most difficult,” she said. “I had to write 10 minutes of music, which is more than I had ever done before.”
One of the pieces that really stood out for her was a dream sequence with dancing. “I have never written something for someone to dance to and was quite nervous when Jayne asked me to do so,” she said.
“After putting together a love song, I presented it and was fascinated to watch the actress move with something I made,” she added. “It was very satisfying in the end.”
Seniors Morgan Steward and Emalyn Remington also discovered firsthand the challenges of both physical performances and making clothes of the era.
“At times during this show, I was emotionally and physically exhausted,” Steward stated in an email. “However, I would do it all over again if it meant that we would produce another show of this caliber.”
Steward and Remington were both involved in the production not only as actors, but also costume designers, which provided unique challenges for a production set during the eighteenth century.
“Frankenstein takes place during the Regency Era in Europe,” Remington explained. “The Regency Era took place after the Rococo period, or the Bourbon Dynasty and marked the beginning of the Napoleonic Rule.
“Because there is such a gap of socioeconomic statuses represented in our play, a lot of research went into finding out not only what aristocrats wore, but also improvised farmers, beggars, and even prostitutes. Gretel’s costume, for example, is going to look much different than Agatha’s or Clarice’s, despite them all being women of the time.”
As a result, many of the costumes were handcrafted, which the students tackled with pride.
“I created two skirts and the creature’s pants from scratch,” Steward said. “The pants were a labor of love, but they turned out better than I imagined in the end.”
Frankenstein will be Remington and Steward’s final production at UMF as both students will be graduating, but they are both extremely proud of what they have accomplished with the show.
“I am so incredibly proud of all my fellow cast mates and the entire crew involved in Frankenstein,” Steward said. “It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, but experiences can only be remembered, never repeated.”
“Being cast as Elizabeth has challenged me both emotionally and physically, and overall has made me a better actor,” Remington stated. “I am so, so grateful for this experience.”
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