Poignant ‘Elephant Man’ up next at Dayton Theatre Guild
Bernard Pomerance’s 1979 Tony Award-winning drama “The Elephant Man,” a fascinating and poignant look at Victorian England phenomenon Joseph Merrick, will be presented by the Dayton Theatre Guild beginning Friday, March 17.
Referred to in the play as John and born with severe deformity, Merrick endured ridicule in the traveling freak show circuit until rescued one fateful day by the inquisitive Dr. Frederick Treves, an up-and-coming surgeon at London Hospital determined to understand Merrick’s disorder. With pivotal assistance from his mentor Treves and acclaimed actress Mrs. Kendal, Merrick captivates an array of British intellectuals astonished by his intelligence and wit.
“‘The Elephant Man’ is, most strongly, a great piece of theater,” said director David Shough, who last season directed the Guild’s local premiere of “Outside Mullingar” and starred as Joseph Alsop in the Guild’s local premiere of “The Columnist.”
“The story uses a common theme. A person is judged, even reviled, for his appearance, but when treated with decency his true, very human, character emerges. He grows and in turn changes those around him. Pomerance takes this theme and wraps it in a series of short, diverse scenes that tell the story in a unique and compelling way. (He also) adds a twist to this common theme – the effect of growing more ‘normal’ is not always for the better for all involved.”
“I think the strength of the play is in how many facets of humanity it draws from the story of someone considered less than human,” echoed Jared Mola, who stars as Merrick and was featured earlier this season as Prior Walter in Clark State Community College’s production of “Angels in America: Perestroika.”
“The challenge, other than the physicality itself, is finding ways of conveying that depth with such intense restrictions placed on the usual forms of expression. The backbone of the show is in that challenge, for both the actor and the audience, to identify and examine those things beyond the external that made Merrick not only a person but a remarkable one.”
“(The play) is certainly not realism,” Shough reminded. “Merrick (is) portrayed (without) makeup or appliances. The voice and body suggest the afflictions Merrick bore rather than duplicate his actual
IF YOU GO
Man” “The Elephant
Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave., Dayton
March 17-April 2; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 5 p.m. (with the exception of the March 18 performance at 8 p.m.); Sundays at 3 p.m.
$19 for adults; $17 for seniors; $12 for students. Call 937-2785993 or visit www. daytontheatreguild.org The play contains brief nudity appearance.”
Shough also says the production’s physical aspects will fluidly complement the progression within Merrick’s insightful, complex journey.
“As Merrick’s life moves from chaos, mistreatment and hardship to relative quiet, comfort and ‘normalcy,’ so too will his environment change. The setting begins by breaking apart, reforming, and eventually settling into the room where Merrick finds peace. His furniture and clothing even evolve as he grows. I always try to involve the stage set as not just a background but part of the storytelling. This play lends itself well to that approach.”
The cast also consists of Patrick Hayes as Treves, Geoff Burkman as Carr Gomm/Conductor, Jim Lockwood as Ross/Bishop How, Kevin Grego as Belgian Police/London Police/ Porter, Mark Reuter as Pinhead Manager/Snork/Lord John, Melissa Kerr Ertsgaard as Pinhead/Miss Sandwich/ Princess, Meredith Hollingsworth as Pinhead/Duchess, Lorin Dineen as Pinhead/ Countess, and Heather Martin as Mrs. Kendal.
“Maybe the cynical takeaway is that ‘The Elephant Man’ appeals to us because he feeds our need to feel congratulated and elevated for not rejecting him,” said Martin, who appeared last season as Edith Frank in Dayton Playhouse’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
“As Dr. Treves says toward the end of the play, Merrick is ‘so greedy to be patronized.’ Not unlike reality singing show contestants performing for superstar judges, he responds to visitors’ affirmations in a way that suggests they are superhuman. The less jaded way to look at it is that Merrick allows us to acknowledge and maybe even look beyond the limits of our own imperfections and see ourselves in new, even if imaginary, ways.”