The Elephant Man, written by Bernard Pomerance is a play based on the life of Joseph Merrick, a man with extreme deformities on his body ultimately being dubbed as the “Elephant Man.”
The play centers on a fictionalized version of Merrick’s life, changing his name to John Merrick. Furthermore, the play notes the interactions and the people Merrick meets throughout his life. Not only focusing on their effects on him but how he affected others.
It’s a tale of perception and a tale of discrimination since the majority of those Merrick came into contact with would run screaming in the other direction.
In a way, the play the teaches us to be comfortable with who we are and to not let how we look define who we really are.
The Mesa College Theatre Company did their own rendition of the play showing for two consecutive weeks at the Apolliad Theatre.
The play was directed by George Yé and featured an incredible cast. Most notably Chris Pittner, who portrayed the lead, John Merrick.
As done with the original play, no prosthetic makeup was used to depict the deformities on Merrick’s body. It was all up to the actor, and that actor was quite remarkable. The way he spoke and the way he walked was so authentic and it never really occurred to the audience that it was a facade.
Another great character was Frederick Treves portrayed nicely by Nick Hessling. Treves was the character closest to Merrick, not fearing his abnormalities. With characters so close, the relationship between the actors should have also been close. And it was. Hessling and Pittner had a great onstage chemistry and that’s what made both characters so likable.
Other notable characters include Carr Gomm performed perfectly by Robert Dagdagan, Madge Kendal played beautifully by Lexsy Mckowen and the most fun to watch, the two Pinheads played hilariously by Emilee Zuniga and Noelle Chaamine.
Aside from the acting, the overall production of the play should also receive high praise. Yé made some bold directing choices and they definitely paid off. Having the actors move the sets has always been a risky move in theatre but the audience welcomed it with open arms.
Another interesting decision was the use of projectors. Before each scene there seemed to be a group of words that were most likely titles to reflect the oncoming scene.
Many of the design elements deserve recognition as well. For example, Christina George did a great job with scenic design relying on a more minimalist approach with the use of wall-like pillars around the stage. With a few pieces moving in and out she made sure there was no distraction from the play itself.
Same with the lighting, designed by Derek Maclean, perfectly synced with the scenes. There was never a time when one would question the lighting choice. Each illumination was meant to be and was perfectly spot on each time.
The Mesa College Theatre Company has done it again with The Elephant Man, proving that the theatre arts deserves more credit than it is given.