From February 13-15, the Hotchkiss Drama Association (HDA) presented a production of Frankenstein by Nick Dear in Walker Auditorium. The show was co-directed by Director of Theatre Derek Brashears and William Becker ’26.
Thirty-one students and six faculty members and local artists participated in the production’s design and management elements. Destiny Herd ’26 was production stage manager, Kate DeAngelis did costume design, and Mr. Brashears was the set, lighting, and sound designer. Yanglin Fazzone ’29 and Autumn Hemelt ’27 did makeup design. Ms. Davida LaCosse, instructor in chemistry & physics, was the technical director, and Mr. Andrew Knight, instructor in English & theatre, managed props.
Frankenstein follows a scientist, Dr. Victor Frankenstein (played by Jack McCarthy ’26), in his attempt to create a living creature by combining body parts of corpses. Dr. Frankenstein succeeds in making his creature (played by Steven Hicks ’26), but abandons it because of its ugliness. The plot follows the Creature’s evolution and the dynamic between the Creature and Dr. Frankenstein as creation and creator.
The story of Frankenstein, from Mary Shelley’s book, has been adapted countless times into movies, plays, and musicals, the most recent being a 2025 film directed by Oscar- winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and starring Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Oscar Issac. Mr. Brashears said, “This story, and especially this version of this story, is about how the Creature is misunderstood. He is born into abuse and fear, and yet somehow still gains his humanity. He’s also a warning. He shows us that that life can move beyond our control. This story has lived for so long, because its main questions warp and grow and evolve with the times.”
Co-director Becker said, “This story grapples with who is the monster and who is the man, and what happens when humans try to meddle with science and the natural order, especially in relation to human life.”
Mr. Brashears has been making plans for the production since it was approved in April by the HDA Board. Mr Brashears said, “When you think about it, I have been artistically living in that headspace of gothic horror for about 10 months.”
“Steven’s acting was incredible; he embodied the character so completely,” said Chloe Cairns ’29.
In October, Becker was brought in as stage manager and assistant director, and soon took on the role of co- director. Chiwo Mupita ’27, who played the role of Madam Frankenstein, said, “Mr. Brashears is just relaxed enough where I feel like I can really have fun on stage, yet he also pushes us to be better. It is the perfect happy medium, and I am grateful to be a part of this show!”
Auditions and castings took place in early to mid-November, then the rehearsal process started. Rehearsals took place almost every day, including Sundays. Not all crew members were involved in every rehearsal session, so busy students could still stay on top of their other priorities. Mupita said, “The characters with the most scenes are Victor and the Creature. So often, I would only be called three to four times a week, depending on what scenes needed work.”
Music and set design were chosen to create a dark setting. There was music throughout the majority of the show, whether quiet instrumentals or loud pop songs, and sound effects created an ominous atmosphere. Additionally, the lighting created moments of horror and visual attention. The production also included fake blood and corpse props, which increased the forbidding atmosphere.
Mr. Brashears said, “I spent my pre- teaching professional career working with some of the foremost physical theatre artists in the world, and have used that experience to inspire how this production was created. Movement, sound, and clean, powerful visuals drive this production as much as a great script and performances to match. There are moments that are certainly weird, and feel potentially out of place, but when combined as a whole create what I was hoping for. I wanted to give us something that was always beautiful, but never pretty.”
Many students and faculty had positive reactions to the show. Michaela Springer ’27, who attended the show on Friday night, said, “The dancing with Lily and Steven was fascinating, since other than the musicals most productions don’t have dance. The music that played throughout it helped create the horror element that Shelly was going for. It was absolutely insane that Steven could do so much acting without any lines in the first ten minutes of the play.” Chloe Cairns ’29 said, “Steven’s acting was incredible; he embodied the character so completely.”
HDA will present Romeo and Juliet in the spring. Carla Oudin ’26 and Philip Fauver ’26 have been cast as Romeo and Juliet. This production will be directed by Mr. Knight and will take place from May 8-10.
