About
PLAYING WITH FIRE is a musical based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, with songs written by Jimmy Harry and JC Chasez. This reimagining of the classic tale constructs a conversation between a dying Frankenstein and his creation, The Creature, at the grave of Frankenstein’s wife, Elizabeth.
As Frankenstein and The Creature speak to each other, scenes from their past are replayed and the two gain a mutual understanding about their reasons for actions that brutally affected each other’s lives. Unexpectedly, they find sympathy, love and forgiveness for each other.
Dark, brooding songs fuel Mary Shelley’s ever relevant tale of technology gone out of control. Playing With Fire deals with themes of love, responsibility, revenge, loss, and the human condition.
Cast
Setting
An evening in a graveyard with various stops in a voyage of memory.
Synopsis
While visiting his wife’s grave at dusk, Frankenstein comes face-to-face with his creation, The Creature, whom he has hunted for many years to avenge the deaths of his wife and brother. The Creature is aware that Frankenstein is ill and is seeking answers about his creation before Frankenstein dies.
As The Creature approaches, Frankenstein aims his gun at The Creature but is unable to pull the trigger. The Creature proposes a temporary truce, offering Frankenstein scientific insight into his mind and body in exchange for a chance to question Frankenstein about the purpose and method of his creation. In addition, The Creature promises to let Frankenstein kill him upon the conversation’s conclusion. Frankenstein agrees, and swears to kill The Creature when the sun rises.
The conversation develops into a question-and-answer catechism as the two share flashbacks of key points in their lives. These shared memories begin with Victor and Elizabeth as they deal with the loss of Victor’s mother, which leads a despondent Victor to study the science of life and death, and culminates in the creation of Adam. We follow Adam’s first recollections as he learns he has been abandoned by Victor in the operating room and is reviled by all humanity. Sentenced to a life without friendship or love, he turns to acts of brutality.
Through Elizabeth’s eyes, we follow Victor’s descent from a kind and promising student into a self-obsessed scientist. Victor’s brash ego and dangerous experiments pit her love against her sense of morality. The Creature learns, first hand, the pain, fear and love that drove Frankenstein to create him.
By recounting their stories, Frankenstein and The Creature gain fresh insights and a sense of closure that only the other is capable of providing. Frankenstein ultimately takes responsibility for The Creature’s birth and forgives his actions. As Frankenstein is dying, The Creature begs to be killed so he doesn’t have to be alone anymore. Frankenstein agrees, but dies in The Creature’s arms before he can pull the trigger.
Song Breakdown
Click below for song descriptions:
ACT ONE
1. This Is How The World Ends (Elizabeth, Adam, Victor)
This Is How The World Ends serves as an overture for the play. We see Frankenstein asleep by Elizabeth’s grave, and are then introduced to the flashback characters Elizabeth, Adam and Victor as they sing their story.
2. How Do You Sleep (Frankenstein, The Creature)
After years of chasing The Creature, a dying Frankenstein finally has him within the sights of his pistol but can’t pull the trigger. Instead, the two have their first conversation since Frankenstein aborted the animation of The Creature’s, bride-to-be. Frankenstein’s curiosity gets the best of him, and he questions The Creature’s intellect for his research but simultaneously ridicules him for being an evil monstrosity. The Creature responds in kind and assails Frankenstein’s morality in creating him but disavowing all responsibility for him.
3. You Used To Touch Me (The Creature)
As Frankenstein describes how he created The Creature, The Creature taunts Frankenstein with a semi-sexual song reminding him that he used to be the object of Frankenstein’s focus and affection.
4. Broken (Elizabeth, Victor)
Elizabeth breaks the news of Victor’s mother’s death while giving birth to his brother William. Elizabeth describes the situation and how she was affected by it. Victor is devastated by the news.
5. The Beginning (Victor, Elizabeth)
Motivated by the tragic, untimely death of his mother, Victor declares to his love interest, Elizabeth, that his life’s mission is to find the cure for the misery of death. Elizabeth responds by saying she’s not afraid of dying and only wants his love.
6. One Over R Squared Part 1 (Elizabeth, Victor)
Elizabeth visits Victor at his university. She flirts and asks what he’s studying. He responds by telling her about the inverse square ratio. She teases him about it but then asks what he is really interested in. He confides his “darkest secret” that he is interested in studying life and death. She gently laughs it off and reminds him to miss her as she leaves.
7. I Found Death At The University (Frankenstein, The Creature)
Frankenstein describes to The Creature the experiments and reasoning that lead to its creation.
8. One Over R Squared Part 2 (Elizabeth, Victor)
After not hearing from Victor for six months, Elizabeth returns to the university to find Victor exhausted, arrogant, and obsessed with his work studying life and death. Elizabeth questions the ethics of his work and how it’s affecting his behavior.
9. The Animation (Dr. Frankenstein, Victor, The Creature)
Victor brings Adam to life. Frankenstein and The Creature relieve the moment, one in triumph, one in horror.
ACT TWO
10. Father (Frankenstein, The Creature, Adam)
Adam (the young Creature) sings from the operating table where he was born that he recognized Victor as his father/creator from the moment his eyes opened. The Creature (at present age) rails at Frankenstein for being a selfish and irresponsible parent who should have never turned on the switch unless he was prepared to deal with the consequences. Frankenstein makes excuses for his actions but The Creature refuses to relent.
11. No One Loves No One (Adam)
Adam bears his soul and describes what it’s like to live without a name, love, or family.
12. It’s Just A Dream (Elizabeth)
Back home with Elizabeth during a picnic, Victor naps and awakens from a nightmare. Elizabeth tries to calm him down, expressing her love for him. She wonders aloud if there another person in Victor’s life due to his strange behavior.
13. Build Me Someone To Love (Victor, Adam)
Adam, who is lonely and isolated from humanity, begs Victor to make him a bride. He promises to move far away and never bother Victor again if Victor will do this for him. Victor reluctantly agrees as he sees no other way out of his predicament.
14. Playing With Fire (Elizabeth)
Elizabeth learns the truth from Victor about his creation of Adam. She chastises him for his foolish actions, warns him of the consequences of playing God, and tasks him to make it right for the sake of their love.
15. The Death Of The Brides (Victor, Adam)
The Animation of Adam’s bride-to-be begins. An exhausted Victor works tirelessly but soon becomes terrified at the prospect of bringing another monster in the world. Victor murders and mutilates Adam’s bride-to-be just after he animates her. Horrified, Adam vows revenge. We then see Adam strangle Elizabeth on the evening of her marriage to Victor.
16. Don’t Go I’m Not Ready Yet (The Creature)
Frankenstein finally comes to realize that he, in large part, bears responsibility for the tragic events that occurred. His life culminates in an act of contrition, and he apologizes to The Creature. The Creature also feels remorse for his actions and asks Frankenstein to shoot him. Frankenstein consents, but dies before he can pull the trigger. The Creature mourns the death of his creator and vows to hold him forever.