Name: Nicole Mooradian
I am: The Assistant Stage Manager!
What has been your favorite moment working on this production so far?
My favorite moment was getting to see the entire show for the first time. Being able to see the product of everyone’s hard work was incredible. You start off working with a script and an idea and suddenly it comes to life.
What was your perception or understanding of the Shelley’s and their inner circle before watching Howard Brenton’s interpretation? How has it changed?
I honestly didn’t know much about the Shelley’s at all. Now, I’m very interested in learning more about them and what they’ve written.
What do you think makes this production unique from others that you’ve done?
This show has an extreme level of intimacy. It forces audience members to confront the things in life that are uncomfortable. Even though the events in the show are extreme, I think everyone can relate to these characters and the emotions they go through. It’s been very cool to witness the intimacy that the characters have but the actors have this connection as well. It makes this show very real and very special.
What kind of effect do you hope this production will have on audiences?
I hope this show leaves audiences with a desire to connect to people. We all go through hardships and tough times, what makes it all worth it is the connections we make and the impact we leave behind on other people.
Name: Ian Deleón
I am: The Sound Board Operator!
What has been your favorite moment working on this production so far?
Seeing the transition from the first night of auditions for this play through the final rehearsals has been truly inspiring. The poetry of this production has inhabited the actors and through them I feel as though I’ve learned something particular but also universal about these people and their histories.
What was your perception or understanding of the Shelley’s and their inner circle before watching Howard Brenton’s interpretation? How has it changed?
Honestly not much. Mary Shelley was always the better known figure of the bunch for me, but I have been surprised by the depths of their interrelationships this play has highlighted. I’m definitely a lot more interested in the group now, beyond the triumph of Frankenstein.
What do you think makes this production unique from others that you’ve done?
The frank depiction of polyamory and some men’s subsequent aloofness in the face of those freedoms.
What kind of effect do you hope this production will have on audiences?
I hope audiences who aren’t already familiar come away with an appreciation for the illusory aspects of most ‘free love’ societies and the ways those in power (typically men) often use radicalism to disguise irresponsible, selfish, and cruel behavior. Additionally, an increased interest in the art of poetry in general would also be a blessing.
Name: Xanna Prentice
I am: The Stagehand and SFX Makeup Artist!
What has been your favorite moment working on this production so far?
My favorite moment was when we got the look “just right” for one of the characters. It took a couple rehearsals and took running back and forth from backstage to the audience to check out the lighting in different scenes, but when we got it right, it was so glorifying. In fact, seeing how the show all came together on the preview night was my favorite moment. All the hard work both on the stage and backstage has been inspiring!
What was your perception or understanding of the Shelley’s and their inner circle before watching Howard Brenton’s interpretation? How has it changed?
I was very excited for this show because I knew a bit of the history of these writers and was intrigued by them, but in Brenton’s interpretation the depth of the characters’ humanity is explored in such a way on the stage that it makes the writers relatable. I feel connected to the writers in a way I was not before, because this show has made them come alive.
What do you think makes this production unique from others that you’ve done?
This production is unique because of the historical period and the need for specific costumes and makeup looks. It is exciting and unique to work on a show with this amount of costume and makeup needs!
What kind of effect do you hope this production will have on audiences?
I hope the audience will take away that these writers, who the characters in the play are based on, were first and foremost human. They struggled with the same emotional ups and downs that we all experience and connecting with that humanity is what this production is all about.
Name: Jay Koester
I am: The Lighting Designer and Board Operator!
What has been your favorite moment working on this production so far?
Seeing the production realized. There is a moment when Harriet is under perfect lighting.
What was your perception or understanding of the Shelley’s and their inner circle before watching Howard Brenton’s interpretation? How has it changed?
I really had no knowledge of the Shelley’s or Lord Byron before the production. I wasn’t aware that people like them existed back in 1816. I am now interested in learning more about them.
What do you think makes this production unique from others that you’ve done?
This is my first outing as Lighting Designer. It has been scary and very thought provoking. Seeing my design realized has been the high point of my time in the theater.
What kind of effect do you hope this production will have on audiences?
I hope it makes people think about the show well after the curtain falls. Also, not to be too self-aggrandizing, I hope the audience sees what minimal light and budget can do with a little creativity.
