The campus is diving into the Halloween spirit this month with programs in the Meagher Theatre about three monsters – one real and two fictional -- that are sure to make audiences squirm in their seats: Cavalcante, Frankenstein, and Kratt.

A Killer at the Door
October 23 at 1:30 p.m.

The fright fest begins with author Bruce Mowday, who will discuss A Killer at the Door, his new book about a murderer on the loose in Chester County. After Danilo Cavalcante was convicted of the brutal killing of his girlfriend in front of her children, he crab-walked up and over a Chester County prison wall while a guard was on the phone.

The escape led police on a two-week search before he was apprehended. The book details the search and capture as well as the terror experienced by the community while the killer was loose.

The Fate of Frankenstein
October 23, 24, and 25 at 8 p.m.
October 26 at 2 p.m.

The Neumann University Players present The Fate of Frankenstein, the first adaptation for the stage of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. The 1823 play by Richard Brinsley Peake remains largely true to the plot of the novel but adds musical numbers and moral lessons about Frankenstein’s creation.

While both the novel and play are cautionary tales about the dangers of ambition and scientific experimentation, the work also explores themes that seem ripped from today’s headlines, such as the destructive nature of isolation and the importance of compassion.

Kratt
October 29 at 6:30 p.m.

Staying at their grandmother's house without their smartphones, children find life boring until they find the instructions to create a mythical creature called Kratt. Kratt will do whatever its master says, but the children have to get a soul from the devil first.

Set in Estonia, this 2020 dark comedic film is about finding the right mix of work and play, simplicity and technology. The evening will open with Thomas Edison's famous Frankenstein short. A discussion about the films and the horror genre will follow the screening.

The film is one of three bonus screenings planned by the Neumann Inspires Film Festival, leading to the fourth annual event on April 17-18.