One of the pleasures of writing an adaptation is the opportunity to explore aspects of the original characters that previously have received less attention. In Frankenstein, Elizabeth Lavenza is one of those characters who offers this wonderful opportunity.
Elizabeth has the good fortune of being adopted as an orphan by Alphonse and Caroline Frankenstein. Elizabeth calls these new parents “Uncle” and “Aunt,” but is essentially raised by them as a daughter — albeit one who can later be married to their son, Victor. How many parents might relish the opportunity to raise from childhood the future spouses of their children?
But Elizabeth’s blessings later become her misfortune, as her intended Victor entangles her inextricably with the Creature whom he builds in the aftermath of his mother’s death from scarlet fever. In Shelley’s novel, we hear Elizabeth’s voice most often in her letters to Victor. In this adaptation, we hope to amplify Elizabeth’s voice and bring Elizabeth’s internal thoughts and struggles to life throughout the play.
-Roxanne Ray