Puppets are super creepy. Frankenstein is also kinda creepy, although significantly less so, mostly due to Mel Brooks, but also to Peter Boyle, not only for his portrayal of the Monster in Brook’s 1974 farce, but also for his participation in that abomination of syndicated television known as Everybody Loves Raymond. They play that shit on airplanes now, you know, because apparently no over the counter sedative is as powerful as the excruciating banter between the clearly unloved Ray Romano and that awful harpie from the Albertson’s commercials. But maybe the inherent eeriness of puppetry will make up for all the modern baggage Mary Shelly’s tale takes along with it. From October 27th to the 29th, Automata presents Frankenstein: Mortal Toys at the Velaslavasay Theatre, a retooling of Erik Ehn’s version of the original novel, acted out in the miniature with puppets based on 18th century American portrait paintings. For more information, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/stage/432883,0,7412541.event. (Jessica Madison)