This October, Fayetteville is about to become the beating heart of gothic horror. With stage performances, a groundbreaking new film and a return to the very origins of cinematic horror, audiences will have three distinct opportunities to step into Mary Shelley’s world of Frankenstein.
The season begins with live theatre. On Oct. 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. and again on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m., the Capitol Encore Academy’s high school theatre company, New Fire Theatre Company will present a gothic double bill: Frankenstein and Dracula at 200 Mason Street.
Known for its fearless approach to classic texts and fun, New Fire has chosen two of the most iconic horror tales ever written and will bring them to life with the immediacy only live performance can deliver. The audience will sit mere feet away as Victor Frankenstein dares to play God and as Count Dracula prowls in the shadows.
Pairing Frankenstein with Dracula highlights the extraordinary breadth of 19th-century gothic imagination. Mary Shelley’s novel, published in 1818, wrestled with questions of science, morality and loneliness. Frankenstein will be presented more on the dramatic side of storytelling. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897, terrified readers with its mix of sensuality, but New Fire presents this production as comedic parody. Seeing the two back-to-back in one evening (or afternoon) promises a visceral, spine-tingling and hilarious experience. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.
Then, just two weeks later, Frankenstein rises again with in the hands of Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The Cameo Art House Theatre will open the director’s long-awaited adaptation on October 24th.
Del Toro has described Shelley’s novel as one of his life’s touchstones and his new film is already being hailed as one of his most ambitious works. Starring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Mia Goth as Elizabeth, and Jacob Elordi as the Creature, the movie is a 2-hour-and-29-minute descent into obsession, beauty and tragedy.
Unlike many past adaptations, del Toro’s film leans heavily into the novel’s emotional core. The Creature is not merely a monster but a tragic being, desperate for connection yet cast aside by his maker. In del Toro’s hands, expect lavish gothic imagery, aching humanity and the kind of haunting visuals that have defined his career.
As if a new blockbuster weren’t enough, the Cameo is also offering a chance to revisit the classic that defined horror cinema for generations. On Friday, Oct. 24 at 9:30 p.m., as part of the monthly Fourth Friday Fright Night, the theater will screen Frankenstein (1931), directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff.
This is the Frankenstein that set the template for nearly every horror film that followed. With Colin Clive as the tormented Dr. Henry Frankenstein and Karloff in his legendary turn as the Monster, the film captures both the terror and the pathos of Shelley’s tale. At just over an hour long, it remains eerie and remarkably powerful nearly a century after its release.
Audiences will once again watch as Frankenstein, aided by his hunchbacked assistant Fritz, assembles his Creature from stolen body parts and dares to bring it to life. The moment when Clive shouts, “It’s alive!” remains one of the most electrifying.
Seeing the film on the big screen is a rare opportunity to appreciate its groundbreaking makeup and Karloff’s unforgettable performance. It also provides the perfect counterpoint to del Toro’s new film: one shows us where the legend began, the other where it might go next.
Fayetteville has a history of telling the story of Frankenstein including live performances by Gilbert Theater’s Young Frankenstein and Yellow Beanie’s Frankenstein. Both productions were groundbreaking hits. So, if you missed them or just enjoy the story told in new ways, check them out this year. It’s a rare chance to see how legends are born, reborn and reimagined, right here in our own community.