How do we begin to historicize blood as a fluid material and as a symbol that has the potential to bear a “social life” beyond the body? This talk considers Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) as a case study for how Victorian fiction (re)imagined the significance of blood in relation to Victorian debates about blood purity, blood transfusions, and contagion.
On the final day of Mary Shelley’s life, she elicits her daughter in law’s help to preserve her memory and legacy… and discovers that there may be more than one way to tell the truth. Mary Shelley is a solo performance created by actor Jennifer Summerfield.
Frankenstein is a solo adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel.
Dracula is a 70-minute solo adaptation of Bram Stoker’s tale of terror, using only Stoker’s original text of diary entries, letters, and newspaper articles. This show has received rave reviews and returns to the Rosenbach, home of Bram Stoker’s original notes for Dracula. About the performer Josh Hitchens is the Artistic Director of Going Dark Theatre. Their (more…)
As the opening date for Frankenstein & Dracula approaches, we’ve been revisiting some of the strange (and occasionally salacious) stories from the lives of the Romantic authors whose dark and imaginative stories inspired two of history’s greatest monsters. A favorite among our staff is the grim tale of Percy Shelley’s heart. When he was just …
Get up close and personal with Bram Stoker’s handwritten notes (character and chapter outlines, chronologies, and more!) for Dracula as Rosenbach staff explore what it takes to create an enduring monster.
Get up close and personal with Bram Stoker’s handwritten notes (character and chapter outlines, chronologies, and more!) for Dracula as Rosenbach staff explore what it takes to create an enduring monster.
Registration Tuition for this reading group is $200 Registration will open to Delancey Society members on August 22, to members on August 29, and to the public on September 5. Rosenbach members at the Contributor level and above will receive a 10% discount on tuition. Not a member? We invite you to join upon registration. Click (more…)
About 200 years ago, a runaway teenager awoke from a nightmare. Encouraged by her lover – a man married to another woman – she wrote down her dream, and in the process created a story that continues to haunt us today. In these 4 class sessions we will explore the secret history of Frankenstein, learning about the sexual politics and scientific controversies that animated Mary Shelley’s masterpiece. We will also explore Frankenstein’s longevity, identifying where and how this Gothic tale has shaped our culture.
In honor of history’s greatest monsters, join us for a celebration of mad science and medical oddities by exploring our Frankenstein & Dracula exhibition and trying your own questionable experiments.