A Brainy Look at Frankenstein

Most people know him only as the inarticulate, flat-topped, stumbling hulk of a monster made famous by actor Boris Karloff in the 1931 film, “Frankenstein.”

But according to storyteller Jon Spelman, the original tale of Baron Frankenstein’s creature, by Mary Shelley, has nothing to do with the film’s scary and hunchbacked laboratory assistant. Spelman will be telling his version of the classic 1818 novel, “Frankenstein,” Saturday night at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena.

“It’s kind of the myth for the 20th Century,” Spelman said. “It’s about how technology can run away with us. It has a lot to do with human development and the formation of the brain.”

Spelman estimated that one-half to two-thirds of the novel is done from the creature’s point of view. When he abridged the work for performance, those were the parts he kept.

“About 97% (of the program) is Mary Shelley’s words,” he said. “But by what I choose to say and how I choose to say it, I’m making comments.”

He presents the work from memory, as opposed to reading it, because “when you’re not reading, there’s a possibility to invest yourself in what you’re doing. Like when we’re talking, we’re not thinking about the words but what we’re trying to say.”

Frankenstein is this season’s opening concert of “By Word of Mouth,” a storytelling performance series for adults produced by Kind Crone Productions.

The tale will unfold at 8 p.m. in the sanctuary of the church at 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd. Tickets are $10. For reservations or more information, call (818) 797-6817.