Daily Pilot / 24 May 2003
A Multimedia Take on 'Frankenstein'
by Coral Wilson
Frankenstein came from the dead and was created in a novel, but the monster has taken on a new life. The imaginary story raised questions in the 19th century that have remained topics of legitimate scientific and artistic discussion. Even more so today, modern technological and medical breakthroughs have expanded the possibilities for artificial life.
"It lends itself to questions about creation and scientific possibilities," said Annie Loui, associate professor of drama. "It is a story worth retelling because it shows human nature. And human nature stays the same, the desire to create and manifest new life."
The multimedia performance, "Reading Frankenstein," is a two-year collaboration of UC Irvine professors Loui and Antoinette LaFarge, assistant professor of digital media. James Fallon, professor of anatomy and neurobiology, incorporated elements of scientific realism as the science advisor.
"I like where art and science and the brain come together," Fallon said. "It is a collaboration of basic science, clinical science, all the way to artistic performance."
Computer coding and laboratory data from the UC Irvine brain imaging center are projected on the stage, suggesting scientific truth. Stem cell and genetic code research have neuroscientists trying to recreate the brain, he said.
"All the ethical and personal questions are still valid," Fallon said. "It hit a nerve, and not just a Hollywood nerve. It resonates in scientists to this day."
While hundreds of people came together for the production, only one actress appears on stage, Loui said. The other performer is a virtual creature, appearing through real-time video and live voice processing technology.
Scientist Mary Shelley, played by actress Marika Becz, is haunted by the novel she is reading, "Frankenstein," while resolving a failed computer experiment in her laboratory. Lines of reality are crossed and come into question.
"Reading can take you to new places—literally, it is scientifically proven," she said. "The text on the page turns into imagery in your head."
A story in a book can produce the same neurological response as the event itself, Loui said.
"You read and you go into the book," LaFarge said. "You are the hero, the villain and all the characters."
Reality is a construction of the brain that dumps sensory input and, at the same time, interpolates other information, LaFarge said.
"What is left is what we think of as reality," she said.
But scientific experimentation with genetic engineering and the creation of artificial life raise very real ethical debates and could have long-term ramifications that need to be handled responsibly, she said.
Frankenstein is a lonely creature who is shunned and excluded for his otherness, she said.
In this century, science offers mothers the possibilities of detecting deformities, disease and eventually even ugliness so that certain kinds of people may not be born in the future, she said.
"What we call monsters and unacceptable is often a reflection of fears and weaknesses in a culture," she said. "Every generation has its own group of beings who are not accepted."
Modern technology offers new possibilities for artists and scientists, which "Reading Frankenstein" tackles head on. The production is a culmination of 10 years of experimentation for Loui, combining animation and projection with live performances.
For a neuroscientist, Fallon said, it is the best of times.
"I rather enjoy the discussion," he said. "It lets you know that you are living in a dynamic civilization and exciting times."