Symphony Funds Free Frankenstein Trip for Students
Athens Symphony Orchestra covered costs so more than 60 Cedar Shoals High School students could attend a live-score screening of the 1931 film.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Classical
The Athens Symphony Orchestra raised $2,240 through a fundraising effort among symphony members and supporters, letting Cedar Shoals High School students attend the Oct. 25 performance for free. The performance of the 1931 Frankenstein film, scored live by the orchestra, took place at The Classic Center Theatre in downtown Athens.
Why it matters
The effort removed the cost barrier for students studying Mary Shelley's 1818 novel in AP Literature, connecting classroom reading to a live orchestral experience. It also brought about 40 Cedar Shoals orchestra members into the performance.
The Athens Symphony Orchestra raised $2,240 to cover tickets, and more than 60 Cedar Shoals students attended alongside about 40 orchestra members. The extraction does not indicate whether similar school-subsidized screenings are planned.
The players
Athens Symphony Orchestra
The Athens, Georgia orchestra whose members and supporters funded the student tickets.
Brad Maffett
Conductor and artistic director of the Athens Symphony Orchestra who organized the fundraising effort.
Tara Stuart
English Department Chair at Cedar Shoals High School whose AP Literature students attended the performance.
The details
Cedar Shoals English Department Chair Tara Stuart's AP Literature students were reading Mary Shelley's 1818 novel when Stuart contacted symphony conductor and artistic director Brad Maffett about a dress rehearsal. Maffett organized the fundraising effort that covered the full Oct. 25 performance of the 1931 film, scored live by the orchestra.
Timeline
1818: Mary Shelley publishes the novel Frankenstein.
1931: The original Frankenstein film is released.
Oct. 25: Students attend the full symphony performance for free.
Industry Dynamics
The 1931 Universal film that this performance screened is the early sound-era Frankenstein adaptation whose imagery still defines the monster for modern audiences. A live-score screening like this one places that nearly century-old film in a concert hall as a classical music event rather than as home-viewing content.
Students at Cedar Shoals High School attended the full performance at no cost to them, showing how donor-funded tickets can open live orchestral events to young audiences. Families of students should note that the extraction does not say whether similar subsidized programs will be offered again.
The takeaway
Community fundraising can remove cost barriers so students experience live classical performance tied directly to what they read in class. Local schools and arts groups considering similar partnerships can start by asking orchestras whether dress rehearsals or subsidized seats are available.
Further reading
For more on live orchestral film screenings, browse Classical coverage.
