Saturday, October 31^st

4:00 - 7:30 p.m.  Treats for the kids
7:30 p.m. - A Readng of
Frankenstein,
or the Modern Prometheus
by Mary Shelley

in the Black Box Theatre space
in the Gretna Center For the Arts

The Gretna Theatre at the Gretna Movie Theatre 107 N. Main st, Gretna Va 24557  (driving directions)

Halloween is a time for Trick ‘r Treat, costume parties, and ghost stories;
Saturday, October 31, the Gretna Center for the Arts will hold a party for the whole family, with all the above features.

From 4:00 to 7:30, children in costume will be welcomed to traditional treats along Main Street in Gretna, and be sure to include the Center on the route. By 7:30, plan to stay for a while as Gretna Little Theatre members gather, in costume, for spooky happenings. We expect Snow White and Rapunzel to be rescued, and other favorite characters will be present as well.

At 7:30 lights will dim as storytellers take the stage to read from the classic horror tale, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. The tale itself was born on a foggy murky evening in 1831 as a company of writers and philosophers gathered in the mysterious castle Villa Diodati.

The summer before beheld an eruption of a volcano in Indonesia which caused clouds of ash to cover the earth, disrupting climate and landscapes across Europe and Asia. The travelers at the Villa found themselves remaining indoors, away from the desolation all around them. Needing entertainment, they chose to tell ghost stories, and were urged into a contest of sorts, to see who among them could tell the most horrific tales.

Despite her youth, Mary Shelley won the honour of the best tale of an evening, and was encouraged to polish and publish her story of a young medical student, captivated by the idea of electromagnetism, who gathered human remains, reassembled them, and struck the “spark of life” to the resultant “creature.” The story of Dr Frankenstein and his monstrous creature has become a favorite spooky story ever since.

GLT director Janina Shoemaker has adapted the original “epistolary” novel, a letter written by a seaman who pulled a drowning man from a raft, and with GLT company will present this ghostly classic as part of the Coffee House series.

Free admission, coffee and hot chocolate available for donations.