November 01, 2024
Halloween book launch celebrates professor Bruce Graver’s fascination with Frankenstein
The Fiondella Great Room in the Ruane Center for the Humanities on Halloween eve was the hauntingly beautiful backdrop for the launch of the new book by English professor Bruce Graver, Ph.D., Peggy Webling and the Story behind Frankenstein: The Making of a Hollywood Monster.
Illuminated by soft amber lighting and the warm glow of the fireplace, Graver and co-writer Dorian Greenbaum enchanted a capacity crowd with discussion of their book, which highlights the often-overlooked contributions of Webling, a British playwright, novelist, and poet who crafted the 1927 stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic Frankenstein story.
Frankenstein connections run deep at PC. Anne McCullough ’15 discovered Webling’s contributions while researching a paper on the history of adaptations of the monstrous creation. The plot thickened when Graver, attending a lecture at PC in 2017, was serendipitously seated next to Dorian Greenbaum, Webling’s great-grandniece, who owned typescripts of Webling’s Frankenstein play. Thus began a collaboration between Graver and Greenbaum to recover Webling from history and reintroduce her into present-day scholarship.
As a further tribute to Webling, Christina Schwab ’25, an English and theatre double major from Havertown, Pennsylvania, will bring “Frankenstein” to the stage at the John Bowab Studio Theatre in the Smith Center for the Arts on February 7-8, 2025. Schwab is adapting and directing the play as her capstone project and Graver is lending his expertise as a production consultant. They will host a talk-back after the matinee on February 8 during which the audience can them and the actors questions about Frankenstein and its relevance today.
As the book launch drew to a close, Graver and Greenbaum autographed copies of their book, leaving attendees inspired by the renewed exploration of Frankenstein — a tale that continues to captivate hearts and minds, even as its history unfolds in new and exciting ways.
