Katrina Clark as Mary Shelley, Jon Beal as the Creature, and JC Payne as Victor Frankenstein in “Mary Shelley’s Monsters.” Photo by Teresa Castracane.
Playwright Bob Bartlett and director Alex Levy made a wise choice in selecting the chapel at the historic Congressional Cemetery to stage Bartlett’s “Mary Shelley’s Monsters,” a rumination on creation, art, and death. The cemetery is one of the oldest sites in the District, with its first burial coming about a decade before Shelley penned “Frankenstein” in 1818, and the long walk down to the chapel for the show sets the mood of the piece. (Go to an evening performance if you can.)
…an exemplary piece of site-specific theater…a powerful demonstration of the artistry possible when a creative team fully commits to their vision and their venue.
Inside the small chapel, three actors unspool the story of Victor Frankenstein and his Creature along with a time-fluid telling of Shelley’s own life—her birth to early radical feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, who died less than two weeks later; her early marriage to poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who left her a widow by 24; and the death of several of her own children. Katrina Clark brings a mournful, elegiac quality to her portrayal of Mary, who moves through the space like an ethereal being, forever caught between life and death.
Jon Beal as the Creature and JC Payne as Victor Frankenstein square off as the tortured pair from Shelley’s novel and as the men in her life, with Bartlett focusing on the complex father/son relationship between the fictional duo. Beal’s physical size provides an effective contrast with the Creature’s innocence and desire to be loved, a need that, when denied, results in his becoming a true monster. Payne balances Frankenstein’s thirst for knowledge and scientific advancement with his obsession for power and domination, never becoming a “mad scientist” caricature.
“Mary Shelley’s Monsters” is billed as an immersive experience, but this is not quite true. Rather, it is an intimate experience in close quarters. About 50 audience members filter into the tiny chapel at the start of the show, with the three actors playing out most of the story in the narrow nave between them. This provides a rare opportunity to fully observe all the actors in close-up, an experience that at times seems cinematic. The use of candles and low lighting effectively casts shadows on the white walls of the altar area, amplifying the spectral feel of the proceedings.
There is an abrupt tonal shift about an hour into the show, when Bartlett rips us from the timeless shadow world between novel and biography into a zany and quick-paced re-enactment of that famous weekend near Geneva when the Shelleys, Lord Byron, and vampire tale pioneer John “Doc” Polidori held a scary story contest that resulted in the 19-year-old Mary’s penning of “Frankenstein.” It is a fun break from the somberness but is more unevenly paced than the rest of Bartlett’s script.
“Mary Shelley’s Monsters” is an exemplary piece of site-specific theater that thoughtfully harnesses its unique setting to amplify a resonant and complex narrative. Levy transforms the space from a mere backdrop into an active participant in the performance. This choice is particularly effective, as the chapel’s natural elements — high ceilings, stained-glass windows, and inherent acoustics — lend a profound sense of atmosphere. The result is a production that is not only a meditation on a classic work of literature but also a powerful demonstration of the artistry possible when a creative team fully commits to their vision and their venue.
Running Time: Eighty-five minutes with one intermission.
“Mary Shelley’s Monsters” presented by Bob Bartlett runs through October 12, 2025 at the Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go online.
