It’s been a busy week for me!

Frankenstein rehearsals have started! This week we have been focusing on the movement aspects of the play. The director (who also happens to be a the writer) is incorporating a lot of dance into the play, which is definitely a unique and challenging experience for me-because I am by no means a dancer! Luckily, our rehearsals are a pretty judgment-free environment so I never feel too upset about making a fool of myself.

Frankenstein is one of the most exciting production I have had the opportunity to be a part of. Of course, on a visceral level, it’s such a cool concept-a modern adaption of a classic horror novel-but the real appeal lies in the new take on the story. As our director told us at one rehearsal, the story is one about life, not death. It’s easy to get caught up in the blood and gore (which I am excited to say will definitely be a part of this show), but there is a deeper message in the story. Our director has added a lot of new depth to this version which is very exciting!

This is the second original show I’ve been a part of at Loyola. Illuminating Voices was written entirely by Loyola faculty and alumni. It is so different to work on a piece that has never been performed before than to perform in some age-old musical that has been done a thousand times. With both Frankenstein and Illuminating Voices, we got feedback from the writers that really helped develop our performances. We also got to contribute a lot to the scripts, helping the writers making changes when necessary. What has already been so exciting about Frankenstein is the amount that the cast has already influenced the work. Rather than being completely controlled by our director (a senior at Loyola), we are constantly asked questions about our characters and given the chance to perform scenes differently than what she might have imagined for us. This is definitely more difficult than other productions because we are given so much more responsibility, but it is completely worth it. It is lucky that we are given the opportunity to work on this because so much of what actors do in the real world is brand new and in development.

On another note, I wanted to give a shout-out to my friend Shawn, who has spent his entire weekend in and out of the ICU at St. Joseph’s hospital with complications with a skin infection and his diabetes. I visited him there yesterday, and I must say he is such a trooper. He just got back to his residence hall today, and luckily for him, his doctor will be visiting him at Loyola’s Wellness Center.

Thanks for reading, I’ll be sure to update again soon!