WSU Theatre Program Presents ‘The Elephant Man’

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University Department of Theatre will present its last production of the spring 2006 season “The Elephant Man” April 6, 7, 8 and 13, 14, 15 in Jones Theatre at 8 p.m. As part of the Mom’s Weekend activities, there is also a special matinee on April 8 at 2 p.m.

“The Elephant Man” was written by American playwright Bernard Pomerance. During the production’s opening season, it won all major drama awards, including three Tony Awards, three Obie Awards, the Drama Desk Award and the New York Drama Circle Award.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. performances will be available at the Daggy Hall box office starting April 4. Reservations can be made by calling (509) 335-7236. Ticket prices are $10 adults, $7.50 seniors, and $5.00 WSU students with a valid university ID. GPSA members and domestic partners are admitted without charge.

The play, which The New York Post referred to as “wonderful, moving and purely theatrical,” tells the true story of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the 19th century. Merrick was a deformed young man who had been a freak attraction in traveling side shows.

After he is found abandoned and helpless, he is admitted for observation to Whitechappel, a prestigious London hospital. He is cared for by a famous young doctor and is educated and introduced to London society. Although the doctor tries to help, Merrick is on exhibit in the hospital too, only in this context those who come to see him are higher class people who give money out of charity.

“I sometimes think my head is so big because it is full of dreams,” said Merrick, contemplating everything he has missed out on in life. But Merrick’s belief that he can become a man like any other is a dream never to be realized.

Prominent in the set design are six large mirrors, which along with the use of mask are unique features in the WSU’s production of “The Elephant Man.”

“Our setting literally holds a mirror up to the audience asking us to examine our own shortcomings, imperfections and oddities and try to appreciate the beauty, which lies within each person we encounter in our lives,“ said director Terry Converse.

“The mirrors, echoing the overriding metaphor of the play, symbolize our unfortunate preoccupation with appearance. At the same time, however, they also symbolize the potential for fruitful reflection and introspection. The play holds a mirror to the audience’s faces, allowing them to see both the beauty inside the grotesque shell of Mr. Merrick, as well as the ugly visage of a society obsessed with surfaces,” Converse said.

All of the characters wear masks. The only exception is the so-called Elephant Man. The absence of mask allows Merrick to be a mirror for each of the main characters of the play, each of whom sees some feature of his or her own personality reflected. Converse said that without a mask, Merrick was forever exposed and vulnerable. Yet, from a psychological point of view, Merrick’s lack of mask—his lack of protection—ironically made him less “freakish” than many of the more “protected” people who interacted with him, he said.

“It can be very painful to have someone recoil from you like you’re a leper. But when this happens, when you suddenly find yourself on the ‘other side of normal,’ then you have a hint of what John Merrick faced every day of his life,” said Converse. “When life hurls upon us such horrors as divorce, disease and death, perhaps that is when we are most receptive to identifying with the Elephant Man, and tapping into what this play is really about: empathy and sensitivity.”

The cast of seven features Dave Herigstad in the title role, and Audrey Bensel, Erik Johnson, Todd Johansson, Brian Porter, Jared Rusnak and Anna Yoshida. The set designer is Richard Slabaugh, costume designer is Carole Urquhart, dramaturge is Laurilyn Harris, lighting designer is Ben Gonzales, technical director is Dean Bourland, sound designer is Joe Vales and stage manager is Robby Valliere.

For additional information, contact the Theatre Department at (509) 335-7447.