Theatre Three presents The Elephant Man

by Bernard Pomerance

Director/Scenic Designer

Jeffrey Schmidt

Intimacy/Fights/

Choreography

Danielle Georgiou, Ph,D

Lighting Designer

Amanda West

Costume Designer

Scott Osborne

Asst Costume Designer

Fatima Y. Flores

Sound Designer

Emilee Biles

Dialect Coach

Lydia Mackay

Stage Manager

Katie Hamilton

Production Assistant

Kendalynn Clemons

Cast

Drew Wall

Taylor Harris

Cindee Mayfield

Shawn Gann

Mindamora Rocha

Karen Raehpour

Gerald Taylor II

Kelly Duncan

Jeff Harvick

My thoughts on The Elephant Man or…freakish behavior on display?

Bernard Pomerance’s 1979 Tony Award winning play is not always easy to watch. This fictionalized tale of the life of the physically deformed Joseph Merrick (known as John Merrick in the play) in late 19th century London is at its core a morality play and there are many lessons to be learned here.

Director and Scenic Designer Jeffrey Schmidt sets the tone for the evening from the moment we enter the auditorium. There is only a bathtub on stage and an eerie green light suggests a miasmic, almost swampy atmosphere. (Special kudos to lighting designer Amanda West as the lighting here is almost another character in the play and enhances Schmidt’s taut direction).

The plot of this 44-year-old play is well known by now and I will not go into detail. In a nutshell, the disfigured John Merrick is “rescued” from a sideshow by a London doctor who is interested in him for medical studies. Dr Treves gives Merrick a “normal” life. Treves and Merrick become and friends. This friendship causes Treves to question what it means to be human and his own humanity, while Merrick questions if he desires normalcy.

The acting in The Elephant Man is superb and thoroughly engrossed me in the world of John Merrick, I was surprised to check the playbill at intermission to find that there are only six actors in the cast. Actors play multiple characters so distinctly and convincingly that I thought there were at least four more cast members.

Mindamora Rocha and Gerald Taylor II play the lion’s share of the supporting roles. They have mastered, as have the entire cast, various British accents that make all their characters individuals. Dialect coach Lydia Mackay is to be congratulated.

Cindee Mayfield is Carr Gomm, the hospital administrator in the hospital where Treves works. Gomm is a highly competent administrator and raises funds to support Merrick. Mayfield, dressed in black, makes the character appropriately stern, almost severe. Mayfield made me shudder once or twice as she reminded me of all those public school librarians I thought were going to thrash me for having overdue books.

Shawn Gann is Ross, Merrick’s dishonest manager, who treats him abominably. The terrific Gann makes the character so despicable and unappealing that we are glad that Ross receives no help from Merrick when he comes to him hat in hand in Act II.

Karen Raehpour, radiant in costumer Scott Osborne’s Victorian gowns, is a delight as Mrs. Kendall, a British actress with society connections who befriends Merrick. It is a joy to watch their relationship develop. Raehpour makes Kendall outspoken and compassionate. The lesson in female anatomy she gives Merrick is touching and beautiful.

Taylor Harris portrays Dr. Treves as an imposing figure. He is a man accustomed to dealing with facts and projects intelligence. Harris is particularly adept at portraying the increasing vulnerability of Treves as his friendship with Merrick deepens and he starts to question what “normal” is. Harris has a remarkable scene near the end of the play where he takes on the characteristics of the Elephant Man as his doubts about humanity start to mount. This is a powerhouse performance,

Drew Wall plays the title character of John Merrick and makes him kind, gentle, and even cheerful. He imbues his Merrick with inquisitiveness and a quiet dignity. Merrick’s deformities are suggested by Wall’s carriage and stance and each of his tortured movements says more than ten pages of dialogue. There is a haunting quality to Wall’s voice as Merrick that stayed with me for days after the performance.

I can’t imagine that I will ever see The Elephant Man staged this well again. Director Schmidt and his excellent cast and creative team bring out all the horror and beauty of the play and make The Elephant Man extraordinary theater.