'Golem: The Monster of Prague' Promises Thrills, Horror and Romance

The Riverfront Playhouse’s upcoming show, Golem: The Monster of Prague promises to take audiences deep inside a classic 19th Century-type Gothic melodrama.  

Sometimes dismissed as ‘cheesy’ ‘two-dimensional’ or ‘ridiculously unrealistic’ those old horror stories remain unrelentingly popular.  The big three, Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolfman, get remade every decade or so.

What is the secret of their continued popularity?  They touch something deep within the human psyche.  They take an audience into a deeper, darker part of themselves where love, hate, jealousy, ambition, vanity, passion and even laughter exist in their purest forms.  

It is the place where these emotions roil around waiting to rise up and influence conscious thought.  Gothic melodrama brings up those emotions and lets them play out on the stage where all the world can see them.  

“I love those old-style plays,” said writer/director David Morris.  “They are a world where everyone is exactly as they seem.”

The villain is evil - always.  The hero is heroic - always.  The heroine is always good and her love is always pure.  “It is the way we wish life really was,” Morris said.

Set in 16th Century Prague, Golem is exactly that kind of play.  Rabbi Loew, a learned alchemist has been trying for years to create life.  He finally succeeds with the help of a mysterious stranger.  His stone man, Golem, is the wonder of Prague. Everyone is amazed and wants to see the creature including King Ludwig.

Meanwhile the rabbi’s sister whispers of her feelings of deep foreboding.  Adding twists to the plot are the rabbi’s best friend, Herr Glickstein; his daughter, Ruth and the handsome captain of the guard, Aaron Fortuna.

A good horror story demands a lot of spectacle and the crew of Golum intend to deliever.  Special effects coordinator Gene Scheffler explains his approach.  

“The challenge is to give people more than they’re expecting," he said. 

Some effects involve flashy pyrotechnics and Scheffler’s focus is on making them safer and better than ever.  Other effects are subtle and creep over the audience until they are frightened without knowing why.  

“This type of spooky play gave birth to spooky movies and everyone loves spooky movies.” Morris said. 

No spooky movie is complete with the right music and neither is a spooky play.  To ensure the sound effects and music captured the mood of the play, the Riverfront brought in veteran sound designer, Kathleen Dooley.  Her theatrical credits include Misery, Dracula and Cat and the Canary.

 “I seem to be drawn to scary stories.” Dooley said. "I like the blend of a pretty piece of music that is just a bit off with a nice grumbly brass or violin.”  

Dooley sees the music as another character that takes the play to the next level. Or, perhaps down to the next level in the case of Golem.  The music stirs up those primordial feelings which are so close to bubbling to the surface.  Dooley plans for each character to have their own theme which will convey the character’s true essence while the main themes will echo the play’s period, the 16th Century.  

Golem: The Monster of Prague opens this Friday and run through June 11 at the Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 Water St., Aurora. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling (630) 897-9496.  

With thrilling spectacle and stirring music added to the fine acting audiences have come to expect from the Riverfront Playhouse, Golem promises to be a Gothic-style melodrama in the grand 19th Century style.