The Elephant Man
1.1.2017
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This Tony Award-winning drama is based on the true life of Joseph (“John”) Merrick, a medical mystery of Victorian England who toured Europe as a freak show attraction. His shocking disfigurement afforded him little social contact, apart from the gawking of onlookers indulging their own morbid curiosity. When an esteemed doctor takes Merrick into his care, he begins to see past the Elephant Man’s unsightliness, discovering a remarkable intellect, heart and hunger for human connection. The role of Merrick calls for his malformation to be conveyed through the actor’s physicality, without the aid of makeup or prosthetics—a poignant allusion to what lies below the surface.
