Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra (PCO) and Pennsylvania Dance Theatre (PDT) will present "The Creatures of Prometheus," a multimedia performance featuring the music of Ludwig van Beethoven's ballet of the same name, Saturday night at the State Theatre.

Prometheus, one of the Greek Titans, is known for creating man from clay and then stealing fire from Zeus to give to his creations.

"The way that Beethoven writes this was as a retelling of the Prometheus myth," said Andre Koslowski, PDT artistic director, choreographer and dancer in the performance. "They're clay figures brought to life, and they don't know where they are or what they are."

Musical director of the PCO, Douglas Meyer, said the prestige of Beethoven's work speaks for itself.

"Beethoven's music is sort of like a rock. It stands for what it is," he said, "Beethoven is Beethoven, and we all interpret around him."

Koslowski said his interpretation of the music will not simply draw from the original ballet by Beethoven, but also include elements from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, written 17 years after the ballet.

"We are not telling the Prometheus story the way Beethoven was," he said. "I just went with the tension and the drama that goes with the theme."

Koslowski said while researching this project he realized that Shelly subtitled the Frankenstein story The Modern Prometheus, since the doctor created man with electricity the same way that Prometheus created man with fire.

He said he wanted to merge these two themes into his choreography.

"The main difference between the two stories is that in Beethoven's story, Prometheus takes responsibility as a father for these creatures," he said. "Frankenstein doesn't want to accept the fatherhood of his creation."

Jill A. Brighton and Moira Dillon Fogarty (graduate-business) will dance alongside Koslowski in the performance.

However, Koslowski said they have no set roles.

"Everybody can be anybody at any time -- sometimes the creator becomes the creature and the creature becomes the creator. It's not going to be a linear story. It's more about the themes that I found interesting and timely that I tried to translate into movement and film," Koslowski said.

To integrate the musicians into the performance, a film complementing the music and dance will be projected behind the orchestra, who must share the stage with the dancers.

"The State Theatre doesn't have a pit, so the orchestra has to be on the stage," Koslowski said. "We have about 10 feet in front of them to work with."

The idea for a film element came while trying to find a way to incorporate the orchestra into the staging of the dance performance.

"The orchestra is now in the middle, with something in front of them and something behind them," he said.