The Festival Announces the Cast of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Meet the cast of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein! Director Risa Brainin and this talented group of newcomers make their Utah Shakespeare Festival debuts this summer, bringing a visceral new energy to David Catlin’s haunting Gothic adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic tale. 

“I’m honored to be directing at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for the first time with David Catlin’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. And what a prescient moment to be in conversation with this great masterpiece,” says Brainin. “A central question of the story is ‘what is one’s responsibility to one’s creation and its life thereafter’? With the growing use of AI, that question is on everyone’s minds. The innovations of today will affect everything about tomorrow. So, what is our responsibility to the future? Catlin’s fresh, unique, rich adaptation of the novel brings the Frankenstein story in conversation with Percy and Mary Shelley’s own lives. The play has something for everyone: mystery, humor, pathos and love.” 

The lead artistic staff who are creating the world of this play are Scenic Designer Jason Simms, Costume Designer Devon Painter, Lighting Designer Claire Chrzan, Sound Designer/Composer Melanie Chen Cole, Voice/Speech/Text Coach Steven Eng, Choreographer/Fight Director/Intimacy Coordinator Christina Traister, and Stage Manager Emily Marie Wilke.

The cast for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein includes all new actors to the Festival, as follows:

Travis Ascione is debuting as Byron/Creature/Others in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. His work has been seen at the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Citadel Theatre, YPT Chicago, and Shakespeare & Company. His voiceover credits include The Saints with The Merry Beggars and he has an MFA in acting from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Sean Dale debuts at the Festival as Polidori/Others in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He has also performed at Alliance Theatre, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Atlanta Shakespeare Company, and in the United Kingdom at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Arcola Theatre, and Tristan Bates Theatre. His teaching credits include Kennesaw State University and Emory University, and he holds an MFA in acting. 

Jacob Dresch makes his first appearance at the Festival as Percy/Victor/Felix in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He performed Off-Broadway at Red Bull Theatre in School for Scandal, and has also been seen at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and Denver Center, among others. His teaching credits include MSU Denver, CU Boulder, DeSales University, New York Film Academy, and UC Irvine. He received Colorado Theatre Guild’s Henry Award and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

Emily Fury Daly appears for her inaugural season at the Festival as Mary/Elizabeth in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Her Off-Broadway work includes La Mama Experimental Theatre and Soho Playhouse, and she has also performed at American Players Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Pittsburgh Public, Pacific Conservatory Theatre, and Chautauqua Theater Company, among others. She has been on NBC’s Chicago Med, appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

Regan Sims makes her Festival debut as Claire/Others in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. She has worked Off-Broadway at 59E59 and ART/NY Theater, as well as at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Huntington Theater Company, Two River Theater, and in the United Kingdom at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Other credits include work with Recent Cutbacks, Story Pirates, and Broken Box Mime Theater. She received her BFA in acting from Rutgers and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

The Festival’s 65th season runs June 18 through October 3, 2026. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein plays in rotation with The Book Club Play in the Anes Studio Theatre starting July 13. Don’t miss these incredible productions, as well as more shows in our other two amazing theatres. Get your tickets online at bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).