to be beautiful inside the glass box – frankenstein personal response

The stage begins dark; although, there is a woman in the middle of the stage confined by a dim light, symbolizing a glass box – the wall beside the audience is a mirror. She is dressed in a large hospital gown and appears to be asleep, but when she awakes, she is trapped and confused. 

 

There is a dark, ominous presence always watching her intently. He seems to be taking notes on her behaviour.

 

She takes a moment for her eyes to adjust to the slight bit of light present. She realizes she is enclosed by glass, and beyond that, complete darkness. She begins to hyperventilate, knocking and muttering words the audience cannot make out. She grows tired and returns to her light.

 

CAPTOR: Strangely are our souls constructed, aren’t they? And by slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity and ruin.

 

CREATURE: Who’s there? 

 

CAPTOR: There is no need to worry, my sweet. Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change. 

 

She feels immense pain between her legs, they grow weak and she falls to the ground. She writhes in pain.

 

CREATURE:  (She traces her hands along the cuts and stitches on her yellowing skin. She stares at herself in the mirror.) What have you done to me? 

 

CAPTOR: I’ve made you beautiful.

 

CREATURE: How did I get here?

 

CAPTOR: So beautiful.

 

CREATURE: Who are you?

 

CAPTOR: You are beautiful and that is, now, your only responsibility. I have taken away all other physiological obligations from your life. Prepare yourself for the morning. So many are waiting to see your beauty.

 

(beat)

 

CREATURE is awoken by a blinding light, she is still in pain. An alarm sounds three times – one side of the glass box is opened. 

 

CAPTOR: My angel, you must exit now to meet new friends. 

 

CREATURE stays silent.

 

CAPTOR: My angel, the men outside of this glass box are waiting to see you.

 

CREATURE stays silent, but begins to cry.

 

CAPTOR: (with complete loss of temper, he screams) You must leave now! Follow the other girls.

 

CREATURE leaves the stage. Sounds of muffled uncomfort escape her mouth. She is trying to escape. She lets out an excruciating scream. She weakly crawls back into the glass box, sobbing.

 

CAPTOR: My most treasured one, I will grace you with two hours of recovery. 

 

CREATURE: Why am I here? I’m going to be sick.

 

CAPTOR: You must grow accustomed to the temporary pains, my angel. I will send a beautiful flower your way and an apple to replenish.

 

CREATURE: Look at me. You have created a monster so hideous. The men outside take what they can get, and still turn in disgust by the sight of me. What have you done? 

 

CAPTOR: I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine. I look to you with such light, my beautiful angel.

 

CREATURE: I can’t stay here. I’ve left my mom alone. 

 

CAPTOR: You will be grateful for I have given you salvation.

 

CREATURE: You’ve given me nothing. My mom was working so hard; we were gonna make it work. And now she’s alone. 

 

(beat) 

 

CAPTOR: You need to rest.

 

(beat)

 

CREATURE notices a flower and an apple, eaten to the core, and a glass of water delivered to her glass box. She immediately drinks the entire glass, neglecting all other “gifts”. She begins to get drowsy.

 

(beat)

 

CREATURE awakes. She is alert of her surroundings, but she traces her hands over her cuts, bruises, and stitches. The CAPTOR is not present.

 

CREATURE: What is happening to me? There’s something wrong.  (Writhes in a pain felt near her stomach. She finds new cuts where her kidneys should be. She screams in terror.) 

 

CAPTOR: The pain of childbirth you will never need to feel. I’ve taken it all away.

 

CREATURE: You have robbed me from something that wasn’t yours to take.

 

CAPTOR: You are my beautiful creature. The world must see you. 

 

CREATURE: (To herself.) What have I done to deserve this? I am so, so alone. (Looks to the mirror.) Only someone as ugly as I am could love me. (To CAPTOR) You’ve made me a monster.

 

The alarm sounds three times. One side of the glass box opens.

 

CAPTOR: You must go now, my creature.

 

CREATURE keeps staring at herself in the mirror, muttering “beautiful” to herself repeatedly, as if in a trance.

 

CAPTOR: (Screams) My creature!

 

(beat)

 

CREATURE struggles to stand and limps towards the opened door. She has lost the ability to take deep breaths. Her breaths remain quick and shallow, she is unable to get air. A forceful arm grabs CREATURE, she struggles against. CREATURE tries to run back into the box. She trips and she is dragged outside, she sobs. The audience hears her struggle and scream. Her screams of terror begin to get weaker, until there is an uncomfortable silence. CREATURE is thrown onto the stage, her arms unable to hold her up. She lays still.

 

CREATURE: (Spitting in weakness and in knives.) Show your face to this wretch. Show me your face, you coward.

 

CAPTOR is revealed as he personally delivers a flower, an apple eaten to the core, and a glass of water. He stares at her for a moment, deeply infatuated with his creation – sympathy completely absent from his gaze. He makes no direct eye contact. He looks at her through the mirror.

 

CREATURE: I am starving, cold, and alone. 

 

CAPTOR only looks at her. 

 

CREATURE: (Pleading.) You have taken everything from me and I am only asking for food. 

 

CAPTOR is silent. 

 

CREATURE: I miss my mother. I don’t know if she’d be able to look at me anymore. 

 

CREATURE makes eye contact with CAPTOR through the mirror.

 

CAPTOR: You are so beautiful. You will never have to leave me.

 

CREATURE: Disgusting wretch. You are just as hideous as I am. (beat) You’ve made me an image of yourself.

 

CREATURE turns to CAPTOR – he looks away. 

 

CAPTOR: (Steps back.) I have yearned for an angel as beautiful as you. One as deformed and horrible as myself, could not deny herself to me. And though, I must share you with the cruel men outside of this glass box, you are mine. You will never have to leave me. You and I, we are the same.

 

CREATURE: We are not the same.

 

CAPTOR attempts to reach to her. She moves away in terror. 

 

CREATURE: Devil, do you dare approach me?

 

To be said quick and rhythmically.

 

CAPTOR: My angel, I love you tenderly.

 

CREATURE: Look at me – I am no longer beautiful.

 

CAPTOR: The only responsibility you have is to be beautiful.

 

CREATURE: You have taken everything from me. (Holds her stomach.)

 

CAPTOR: You will be happy. You will be loved. 

 

CREATURE: I dream of the outside, where my mother should be waiting for me to come home.

 

CAPTOR: We will be together.

 

CREATURE: You have ruined me. Don’t you understand? 

 

CAPTOR: You are beautiful.

 

CREATURE: I am empty. Wretched demon, you have taken every ounce of me I did not know you could take away.

 

CAPTOR: You are so beautiful.

 

CREATURE: I want to be beautiful again. 

 

CAPTOR: My angel, I love you tenderly.

 

CREATURE: There is nothing left.

 

CAPTOR: I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine.

 

CREATURE:  Where can I find rest but in death?

 

She walks to the glass of water.

 

CAPTOR:  And rage the likes of which you would not believe.

 

CREATURE:  I want to be beautiful again. 

 

She pours the water out of the glass.

 

CAPTOR: You will never have to leave me.

 

CREATURE, with the remaining strength she has left, breaks the mirror with the glass. She picks up a large shard of glass and holds it to her throat. CAPTOR attempts to save her, but CREATURE slits her throat before he has the chance to hold her. She lays in peace. CAPTOR holds her. 

 

CAPTOR: My angel that I loved tenderly, you are so beautiful. 

 

The alarm sounds three times – one side of the glass box is opened.

 

Blackout. 

 


Hello! Thank you for reading this entire script, LOL! I gathered inspiration from the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley – implementing lines from the novel. I have integrated themes of otherness, beauty, and the pursuit of a sense of belonging. I enjoy how convoluted this piece is; however, in my interpretation of this piece, I see it as a woman captured into sex trafficking. She undergoes genital mutilation, organ harvesting, rape, and abuse, and she is alone. She finds this odd sense of grotesque companionship with the captor – the doctor that performed all procedures, leaving her body as, basically, an empty shell. He is infatuated with the thought of someone who has become so hideous, reflecting the devilish nature inside of him.

I really hope you enjoyed this morbid piece. 🙂

 

 

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One thought on “to be beautiful inside the glass box – frankenstein personal response

  1. Dear Mia,
    Woah, Mia. I will always be amazed at your playwriting abilities. When I attempt to write my own pieces I always look to yours for inspiration. This piece completely drew me in from the beginning. I love your use of lines from the novel and I completely loved your take on the themes in the piece. I thought it was absolutely brilliant to have the creature be something that is so real in our world today. It is a reality for many people and I felt as though it really connected the themes of Frankenstein with an element of real life. I really loved how you had the captor calling creature the devil and the captor calling the creature angel. I felt as though this truly brought out the opinions that they hold for one another.

    One thing I feel like you could explore is showing a little bit more of the creature’s backstory as I was very curious about how the captor procured her. It would be quite interesting to see a little bit more of how the creature was feeling and I feel as though by adding her past it further shows how drastically her life has changed.

    Your writing is such an inspiration to me and I always enjoy reading your pieces. I’m really excited that you are my TA for next semester.

    Love,
    Abby

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