MANSFIELD — The famously hilarious Mel Brooks adaptation of Frankenstein’s monster will rise from the dead at the Mansfield Playhouse this weekend.
“Young Frankenstein” opens on Friday, Oct. 19 with a slew of new faces to the Mansfield Playhouse. Drew Traxler will be featured in the role of the monster alongside Andrew Conway as Frederick Frankenstein, Graham Leonard as Igor, Kirsten McCarthy as Inga, and Mary Faulds as Frau Blucher.
Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick and a leggy lab assistant, Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors.
“Unlike his father and grandfather, he wants absolutely nothing to do with this family business,” said Andrew Conway of the title character. “He’s actually devoted his life to being a dean of anatomy and teaching medical students that bringing life after death is not possible.”
Conway is a resident of Delaware, and most recently appeared in “Jekyll & Hyde The Musical” at the Galion Community Theatre. When he found out the Playhouse was putting on “Young Frankenstein,” he jumped at the chance to play young Frederick.
“I’ve made the trek to other shows at other theaters; if the show is worth it I’ll definitely make the trip, and this was on my bucket list,” Conway said.
Luring Frederick Frankenstein into the family business is Frau Blucher, played by Mary Faulds. This is Faulds’ second time appearing in “Young Frankenstein” but her first time at the Mansfield Playhouse.
“It was such a fun show I’ve always wanted to do it again, but somewhere else because I like going around to different theaters and meeting different people,” Faulds said. “It’s nice to branch out and find people who hold your same passion.”
Faulds’ character Frau Blucher knew Frederick’s grandfather and is familiar with the monster-making process.
“She’s been through all of this before, so nothing really surprises her,” Faulds said. “She encourages Frederick to pursue the making of monsters, so that’s part of what makes him do it. She gives him the resources, she lures him down to the lab. A real instigator.”
Faulds and Conway are joined by a cast of approximately 20 actors under the direction of Candy Boyd, who’s at the helm of her third production at the Mansfield Playhouse. Boyd said she has tried to honor the Mel Brooks style of comedy audiences are so familiar with in the movie.
“I’m trying to stick very true to how I feel his sense of humor goes, and I think we’ve done a great job of making it our own but still staying true to that,” Boyd said. “I think if Mel Brooks came and watched it, he would laugh just as hard as anybody else.”
Rehearsals for the actors have been intense, with both Conway and Faulds noting the cast has been exhausted but encouraged by their director.
“We had to learn how to tap dance, and I’m 39 years old and I have never tap danced before but I always wanted to ever since I was a little girl in my black patent church shoes,” Faulds said.
Boyd noted that the eclectic group of people assembled for “Young Frankenstein” come from all over Ohio, but meld together perfectly on stage.
“I’ve got the perfect cast for this show; I’ve got people who came from all over the place for this, and they’re so funny,” she said. “I’m not a big laugher, but even now after eight weeks of rehearsal they still crack me up.”
Performances of “Young Frankenstein” will take place Oct. 19, 20, 26, 27 and Nov. 2, 3 at 8:00 pm. There will also be a matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2:30 pm. The Mansfield Playhouse box office is open Wednesday through Friday from 1 to 6 p.m. at 419-522-2883. Tickets are also available online at www.mansfieldplayhouse.com.
Boyd warned that the show was rated PG-13 for adult humor and innuendo.
“You can’t beat Mel Brooks when it comes to comedy,” Conway said. “It takes a very well-known horror genre creature and finds the humor inside this family. The audience will feel the nostalgia if they’ve seen the movie, but also the nostalgia of growing up with those monsters, and they’ll leave laughing. These are jokes that stick with you well after the show is over.”
