FRANKENSTEIN: An original Cal State Fullerton production comes to life

Cominis sees the artistic challenge of changing people’s preconceived notions about “Frankenstein.”

“It’s about humanity. It delves into so many different themes — about family, about what it means to be different, what it means to belong, and when ambition is out of line and out of balance,” says the director.

What she sees in the play is creation. “We create; we are created; we are creative. I really feel like the Creature and Mary Shelley are mirroring each other at the end of the play,” says Cominis. “He is moving into the distance, and she’s coming out to the audience. And that look back at your creation — whether it’s your child, whether it’s your piece of art, whatever you create — there is a huge relationship there.”

That, she adds, is at the heart of why they decided to give Mary Shelley a voice on stage. “She had six pregnancies, two miscarriages out of that, four births — and three of them died, either in infancy or childhood. Shelley creating life and her mother dying while giving birth to her are a huge influence on why she decided to become a writer. She was so influenced by her very radical parents.”