Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus presented by Synetic Theater at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre
125 S Old Glebe Rd Arlington

In a barren world at humanity's end, a man dares to steal fire and bring life to the dead-only to create something he cannot control. Inspired by Mary Shelley's classic, this bold reimagining trades candlelit laboratories for storm-ravaged wastelands, where rhythm, ritual, and elemental force breathe life into a new Creature. A visually raw and immersive meditation on grief, hubris, and what it means to remake ourselves when the world has collapsed, Synetic's Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus is a myth forged in real time. Both intimate and epic, it asks not only what it means to create life, but what kind of life is worth creating.

Presented by Synetic Theater

Thru - Nov 23, 2025

Sat, Nov 15: 1:30pm & 7:30pm

Sun, Nov 16: 3:00pm

Thu, Nov 20: 7:30pm

Fri, Nov 21: 7:30pm

Sat, Nov 22: 1:30pm & 7:30pm

Sun, Nov 23: 3:00pm

Price: $35-$65

Show Type: Drama

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Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"...Synetic Theater presents Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, a reimagining of Mary Shelley's classic that draws inspiration from the tale of Prometheus - the hero of Greek myth who defied Zeus by stealing fire from the Gods and gifting it to humanity. Directed by Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili, Frankenstein stands out as one of the most creative and powerful productions that I've seen in quite some time."

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- Julia Amis

MetroWeekly - Highly Recommended

"...You just can’t keep a creative powerhouse down. Synetic may labor on without a dedicated performance space, but their Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus simply soars. A beautifully-orchestrated feast for the senses, this is a classic Synetic-style spectacle of sound, movement and inventive story-telling."

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- Kate Wingfield

Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended

"...Across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, Synetic Theater–renowned for its physical, wordless interpretations of classic literature–has now taken on Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus (the full title of Shelley's novel), crafting a visually stunning, wordless work that pares the story down to its essentials. Rather than using Shelley's novel as a template, director Paata Tsikurishvili and adaptor Nathan Weinberger have fused elements of it with the ancient inspiration for the story: the Greek myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and brought it to earth for humans to use."

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- Susan Berlin

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...As the director (and co-founder of Synetic Theatre) Paata Tsikurishvili says in his playbill note, creation always demands a price and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a classic example. Familiar as we may be with the Gothic novel and Dr. Victor Frankenstein's attempt to displace God by creating a human being through scientific technique, Synetic's new adaptation, which adopts the full title of Shelly's classic, still shocks and entertains. Managing Director Ben Cunis opened the evening with a reminder that art reflects civilization, adding enigmatically, "but that is a two-way street." He went on to speak about Synetic's goal to create something great, leaving the audience to wonder just what they will see on stage that may reflect aspects of our current society."

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- Nancy Blum

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

"...In crafting the world premiere interpretation, the Synetic team - director Paata Tsikurishvili, choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili, and resident dramaturg/adapter Nathan Weinberger - keep the essential framework of Mary Shelly's 1818 horror masterpiece of Dr. Victor Frankenstein who creates an intelligent, living creature in an unorthodox experiment. But the Synetic artists lean into the novel's subtitle, "Modern Prometheus," adding scenes with Fire (Philip Fletcher) weaving in the age-old story of a titan who steals fire from the gods to give to humans to advance their civilization and is brutally punished by the gods for this act."

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- Pamela Roberts

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus presented by Synetic Theater at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre