#Frankensteinplay
Twitter Literary role-play
Thursday, October 30, (after sunset) all through the day and night of Friday, October 31, 2014 (Halloween)
The scenario:
Victor Frankenstein is out and about on the ice in the Arctic, pursuing his Creature (the monster, the wretch, the daemon) with a soul full of rage, revenge, fear, and remorse. As he falls asleep from exhaustion one night, he has a vivid nightmare of being right in front of the gates of Hell, assaulted by torturous visions of people dead and alive, including all the family members and friends he has lost and the Creature himself, but also other figures from science, literature, and history, who shout at him in a cacophonous chorus, telling him what he did wrong or admiring him, beckoning him to come join them in Hell, appealing to him to change his ways and turn around his life, and generally tearing at him from all sides.
Rules of the game:
1. You can tweet in as many different characters/people as you like and switch back and forth between them. The characters can come from Shelley’s novel or from any other context you find relevant, including other books or music, or be notable figures in science, culture (including film and popular culture). For instance, you could tweet as Milton’s Satan from Paradise Lost; as Werther from Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther; as Don Giovanni in Mozart’s opera, as the mythological Prometheus; as Erasmus Darwin; as Luigi Galvani; as Lady Gaga; as Tim Burton … no limits to the imagination!
2. At the start of your tweet, include the name of your chosen character/person so we know who’s speaking. Also, use the hashtag #Frankensteinplay on every tweet. This is important for all participants to find the role-play on Twitter. Don’t forget!
Example: ELIZABETH: I still believe in marriage, but we really should rethink the wedding night. #Frankensteinplay
3. Twist: you can use #pokefrank or #pokemonster if you want to ask either Victor Frankenstein or the monster a direct question. Who knows–you might get an answer if your tweet is interesting, witty, or provocative enough!
Example: LADY GAGA: Hey hon, who’s your makeup artist? #pokemonster #Frankensteinplay
4. Feel free to tweet images, video, or links within the play. Special kudos and Stanford love if you tweet an image of yourself in costume and speak as your character to Frankenstein on Halloween!
The best moments and pictures will be featured in a Storify after the play is over. Watch this space for updates on that after Halloween weekend.
Tweet early, tweet late, tweet often, and help spread the fun by sharing this with your networks and lists. See you for the first-ever #Frankensteinplay on Twitter!