Frankenstein (one-act)

Frankenstein (one-act) by R. N. Sandberg

(2)
Productions (60)
Drama
|
55 - 60 minutes
2 W, 3 M,  (5-9 actors possible: 2-4 W, 3-5 M)
Content Notes: Mature themes, violence
Set: Unit set

Set in the icy polar regions where scientist Victor Frankenstein has chased the creature he brought to life, this highly theatrical and emotional play traces Frankenstein's path to the final confrontation with his intelligent, articulate, sensitive, and powerfully violent child. (A full-length version of this play is also available.)

Pricing Information

Min. Performance Fee* $55
Standard Edition $11.99
Stage Manager Edition $24.99
Archival Video License $75

*The per performance fee begins at $55. Your per performance fee will be provided during the ordering process.


Playscripts is pleased to offer an Archival Video License for an additional $150 for full-length plays and $75 for one-act plays.

Play Details

Set in the icy polar regions where scientist Victor Frankenstein has chased the creature he brought to life, this highly theatrical and emotional play traces Frankenstein's path to the final confrontation with his intelligent, articulate, sensitive, and powerfully violent child. (A full-length version of this play is also available.)

  • Drama
  • |
  • 55 - 60 minutes
  • 2 W, 3 M,  (5-9 actors possible: 2-4 W, 3-5 M)
  • Content Notes: Mature themes, violence
  • Set: Unit set
  • Standard Edition ISBN: 978-1-62384-338-0

Published Reviews

"An intriguing drama ... delving into the powerful subtext of the novel ... transcends the monster-story foundation to become a complex psychological drama."

Variety

"Sandberg has taken Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and turned it into an intriguing drama that operates on several levels. By delving into the powerful subtext of the novel, this Frankenstein transcends the monster-story foundation to become a complex psychological drama."

Variety

"The grand darkness, moral perplexities and extravagant conceptions of Mary Shelley's early 19th-century Romantic novel retain considerable power... Sandberg's arrangement of flashbacks works well, with fever dreams and actual memory merging in a macabre dance..."

Karen Mathieson, The Seattle Times

"CRITIC'S CHOICE -- The deft adaptation of Frankenstein by Seattle playwright R. N. Sandberg has been given an ingenious, effective production by Intiman Theatre."

Wayne Johnson, The Seattle Times

"Sandberg, in an extraordinarily high-minded new stage version, reclaims much of Shelley's original poignancy and tragedy without dropping its real horror."

David Kochanasz, Capitol Hill Times

"Can anything be salvaged from Mary Shelley's mistreated creature after The Munsters and I Was a Teenage Frankenstein? The answer ... is yes. ...Sandberg focuses all attention on questions at the heart of the story -- the responsibilities of creation, the limits of science, love, misery, and revenge. ...Do not go ... looking for a fun fright show; expect to be challenged."

Bruce Barcott, The Weekly

"Sandberg's situations and dialogue set off thoughts about parent and child, God and creation, science and technology, theory and practice... His adaptation of Shelley's sprawl of physical incident and emotional effusion is ingenious..."

Joe Adcock, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Production History

MAY 17, 2025 - MAY 18, 2025
LISBON SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Lisbon, ME United States
LISBON SCHOOL DEPARTMENTLisbon, ME United States
MAY 01, 2025 - MAY 03, 2025
N/a
Ottawa, ON Canada
N/aOttawa, ON Canada
MAY 01, 2025 - MAY 01, 2025
Arvada West Theatre Company
Arvada, CO United States
Arvada West Theatre CompanyArvada, CO United States
OCT 24, 2024 - OCT 26, 2024
Veterans Memorial High School
San Antonio, TX United States
Veterans Memorial High SchoolSan Antonio, TX United States
OCT 23, 2024 - OCT 24, 2024
West Career and Technical Academy Wrangler Theater
Las Vegas, NV United States
West Career and Technical Academy Wrangler TheaterLas Vegas, NV United States
SEP 02, 2024 - SEP 02, 2024
NTU Halll 4 Muse
Singapore, Singapore
NTU Halll 4 MuseSingapore, Singapore
JUN 28, 2024 - JUN 29, 2024
Bonner Springs High School
Bonner Springs, KS United States
Bonner Springs High SchoolBonner Springs, KS United States
OCT 30, 2023 - DEC 30, 2023
Superior Public Schools
Superior, NE United States
Superior Public SchoolsSuperior, NE United States
MAY 04, 2023 - MAY 04, 2023
PVHS Trojan Theatre
Pahrump, NV United States
PVHS Trojan TheatrePahrump, NV United States
NOV 11, 2022 - NOV 13, 2022
STEM Players Troupe
Downingtown, PA United States
STEM Players TroupeDowningtown, PA United States
1 of 6
MAY 17, 2025 - MAY 18, 2025
LISBON SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Lisbon, ME United States
LISBON SCHOOL DEPARTMENTLisbon, ME United States
MAY 01, 2025 - MAY 03, 2025
N/a
Ottawa, ON Canada
N/aOttawa, ON Canada
MAY 01, 2025 - MAY 01, 2025
Arvada West Theatre Company
Arvada, CO United States
Arvada West Theatre CompanyArvada, CO United States
No professional productions.