Fullerton College reimagines ‘Frankenstein’ in the age of AI

Fullerton College reimagines ‘Frankenstein’ in the age of AI Fullerton College reimagines ‘Frankenstein’ in the age of AI Fullerton College is bringing to the stage what happens when artificial intelligence becomes aware intertwined with an iconic tale. Alexis Gonzalez, Staff Reporter October 14, 2026 Sarah Naccarato (Left to right) Grace Kwee, Asher Sy (top), Aaron Villanueva, Joshua Hultman, and Isabella Naccarato. Correction — Oct. 15, 2026: An earlier version of this article, published Oct. 14, incorrectly listed Bender Kynaston’s name as “Bryan Kynaston.” The error has been corrected. In a time shaped by technology, Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix movie “Frankenstein” asks what happens when a scientist tampers with the human body to cheat death. But at Fullerton College, director Michael Mueller shows a new side: What happens when our code learns to feel? Fullerton College’s Theatre Department is presenting a fresh perspective on Mary Shelley’s well-known story, modernizing it for a new age. Running from Oct.15 through 17, this production allows audiences to experience “Frankenstein” where the creature is not made of body parts, but an advanced artificial intelligence that displays awareness beyond its original programming. Breaking away from the traditional telling of the more than 200-year-old classic and turning it into a sci-fi narrative was an obvious choice for Mueller. Story continues below advertisement “The creature for me has always sort of been, ‘how do we bring it into the modern age?’ And right now, everything we are talking about is AI-generated,” Mueller said. “It is creating this whole new world… and the level of fear and anxiety along with hope and possibility toward the future, which to me sort of embodied the creature.” While del Toro’s film relies on Hollywood-level CGI, million-dollar sets and retakes to build the tension on screen, live theatre has none of that. The show must go on, and for the Fullerton audience, sitting only a few feet away from the actors, experiences the tension in real time without a pause button or the ability to rewind. “Nothing substitutes live performance… I think it also has to do with a live audience,” Mueller said. “When [musicians] perform live, you know it’s happening right there… [An album] is created over weeks, months with lots of editing so that what you get is the perfect version of things. But to see that [actors] can do that in one sitting, by themselves, up on stage, becomes a bit of a magic trick. It’s what helps to keep us coming back to the human connection.” Instead of the creature tearing apart villages and relationships, this new contemporary creature can act as a warning for the era we are currently living in: What happens when humans lose control over the systems they have built? Bringing artificial intelligence to life onstage requires physical cooperation. Without CGI or post-production, this responsibility of creating a futuristic atmosphere falls on the student-run tech crew. “Our creature is not one, but many, as part of the ensemble,” Mueller explained. “We’re using a lot of lights, sounds and projections… stripping away all of the CGI that creates realism and fantasy allows our imagination to then fill in the gaps, which can sometimes be even more disconcerting.” Off stage, managing the production relies heavily on the student management team. “The primary thing that we’ve been working out is how to delegate amongst the team to like make sure everyone has something to do…and make sure that everything gets done as effectively as possible,” stage manager Bender Kynaston explained. Executing the show’s atmospheric moments requires tech elements as well as physical choreography. Along with lighting, projections and sound design, the production immerses audiences as the creature engulfs the stage. “The primary methods of creation with our version are very focused on the movement of the actors portraying the creature,” Kynaston added. “So, there’s a lot of devised movement that they work through with Amanda Rose, our movement choreographer, to develop sort of a language amidst themselves…and then it all comes together as the creature becomes a cohesive consciousness.” By replacing corpses with artificial intelligence, Fullerton College’s “Frankenstein” hopes to prove that Mary Shelley’s iconic tale and its warning remain relevant in the modern age. Whether what we fear most is created in a laboratory or written in code, humanity’s greatest fear is not only the creature itself, but losing control over what we created. “Frankenstein” runs at the Fullerton College Campus Theatre, starting Oct. 15 and running through Oct. 17. Tickets can be purchased through the Fullerton College Fine Arts Box Office or online. View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment About the Contributor Alexis Gonzalez, Staff Reporter Alexis Gonzalez is a second year Journalism major at Fullerton College hoping to focus on entertainment and photography. She hopes to transfer to a UC or out of state school. Outside of school she enjoys going to concerts, freelance theatre photography, and collecting CDs.