Frankenstein is coming to the University, but don’t worry, he’s just a puppet.

The play will premiere Thursday in the Eva Marie Saint Theater at 8 p.m. featuring Victor Frankenstein and the infamous creature.

This puppet show has been written to follow the original Frankenstein book, using Japanese puppetry as a heavy influence. Director Brad Clark studied puppetry in Japan for years, but hasn’t directed his own show until now. He wrote the script himself and is carving all of the puppets by hand.

“All of them are built from scratch,” Clark said.

Clark said contrary to popular belief, the creature’s name is not Frankenstein, he is just referred to as “the creature.” Frankenstein is actually the scientist that creates the creature, but refuses to claim him as his creation afterward.

Frankenstein starts off as a poor quality student that believes he can create life. Although school isn’t his forte, Clark describes the character as “the Hermione Granger of his time.”

His ideas are ridiculed and believed to be impossible. He quits school to work on his research and eventually he pulls it off, creating the creature, who is 8-feet tall and intellectual.

Clark said that engaging the audience into being startled but interested in the story is the main goal.

“If we do that, then we have done our job,” Clark said.

These puppets range from child height to grown adults, meaning they can be heavy after holding them up for hours. Clark makes sure the cast takes breaks because puppetry can be so physically demanding.

Graduate student Sarah Coons, who voices Frankenstein and controls half of his puppet, said puppetry is very precise. Being in sync with the other cast members is important.

“There has to be a crazy level of coordination,” Coons said. “We have to trust that we can follow each other.”

Coons provided insight into the original author Mary Shelley and how her back story reflects aspects of Frankenstein’s character. Shelley’s mother died giving birth to her, and she had multiple miscarriages herself.

Coons said this brings an interesting contrast to the show because Frankenstein runs away from his creation instead of claiming him as his own. She described him as a terrible father and the graduate student from hell.

“This is about taking responsibility for the life he made, not about the creature being a monster,” Coons said.

Actor Baxter Chambers agrees that Shelley’s backstory shows up in the original book and the revised version that was made in 1818.

“She is drawing parallels of her life into the book,” Chambers said.

Chambers voices Professor Walden and controls half of the creature puppet. He said that adding expressions to the puppet was interesting, and that the operator is not doing the acting, but it has to be expressed through the puppetry.

“The breath and stillness can be used to give puppets that spark of life that they need,” Chambers said.

This performance is rated mature because of the use of violence, blood, loud music and intense settings. Bringing small children is not recommended.

The show also runs March 28 at 2 and 8 p.m, March 29 at 9 p.m, and April 3, 4 and 5 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.