When I bought tickets to see Manual Cinema's Frankenstein Friday evening at the Studebaker Theater, I had no idea what to expect.

On its surface, this was a silent movie about Mary Shelley's life, the creation of her most famous work - the novel "Frankenstein" - and the novel's story about a mad scientist and the tragic creature he created.

The twist is that the people on stage create the movie in real-time.

Puppets, pantomime, silhouettes, vintage overhead projectors, signs with text, multiple cameras, and shadows provided the visuals. A few recorded sound effects and a musical combo (keyboard, strings, woodwinds, and percussion) provided the audio.

It is a fantastic mashup of cinema and live performance.

I often found myself looking away from the screen to the people making the magic happen and how they were doing it.
I saw overhead projectors turned on and off, over which people held dark silhouettes to project onto a screen. These showed simple animations, background images, and special effects.
I saw hands reaching from off-camera into the frame to create a sense of mystery.
I saw extreme close-ups of a puppet as it walked across a barren field or frozen tundra.

After the show, the cast invited the audience onto the stage to see the props, technology, and performers up close. I was impressed by how much was done manually. Multiple projectors cast images on a screen. Operators turned on and off the projectors via a piece of black paper dropped in front of the lens.

Many people have told the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster countless times in various media since the publication of Shelley's novel over two centuries ago. But never like this. MC's experimentation brought fresh life to a familiar story.

Manual Cinema began life in Chicago fourteen years ago but escaped my notice until now. Their production of Frankenstein is one of the most creative productions I have ever seen.
When they return, so will I.