Mary Shelley comes back to life

MILAN — Thursday night, Ohio Humanities hosted Ohio Chautauqua in Milan.The third night featured Susan Marie Frontczak's portrayal of Frankenstein's author, Mary Shelley, in the town square."Frankenstein helps us have conversations about bio-ethics," said Pat Williamsen, executive director of Ohio Humanities. "Mary Shelley is more about messing with the natural world."Members of the audience watch the Ohio Chautauqua performance on Thursday in Milan. Mary Shelley was born Mary Godwin, the daughter of influential feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin.Frontczak's portrayal of the author highlighted her creation of the novel. Mary and her future husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, were visiting Switzerland with the poet Lord Byron. Bryon proposed that they each write a ghost story to alleviate their boredom. On a dark stormy night, Mary Shelley envisioned Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. Shelley anonymously published Frankenstein in 1816.A crowd watches a live history performance during the Ohio Chautauqua event in Milan on Thursday, June 29, 2017. Frankenstein explores the dangers of messing with forces outside of humankind's understanding. The ethics of messing with life was once science fiction but now that genetic engineering, human cloning, and artificial intelligence are all possibilities, Shelley's novel can be read in new light as a cautionary tale of when science goes too far.The performance ended with Frontczak answering audience questions as Mary Shelley. "Quite an impressive performance both for those familiar with Shelley's work and those who are not," said Chris Ceccoli of Norwalk."I enjoyed hearing about the competition proposed by Lord Byron," said Joan Crock of Huron.Ohio Chautauqua continues Friday night with Dianne Moran's portrayal of primatologist and mountain gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey.During Thursday's Ohio Chautauqua performance, Susan Marie Frontczak acts as Mary Shelley in Milan. Susan Marie Frontczak plays Mary Shelley on Thursday, June 29, 2017 during Milan's Ohio Chautauqua event.