The Elephant Man

There is a fascinating and uniquely executed production of Bernard Pomerance’s The Elephant Man on stage at the Pico Playhouse. It is a show that has been often performed and a story that has become a fixture in the annals of American literature and entertainment. This most recent production, articulated by The Mechanicals Theatre group, is as stirring as it is strange and as mesmerizing as it is memorable.

The story, based on the life of the disfigured 1880’s Londoner John Merrick (John Newman), tells the tale of a man whose appearance was so dominated by a horrible skin and bone disorder that he became commonly known as the Elephant Man. Living in the same London of Jack the Ripper and Charles Dickens, Merrick ekes out an existence as a side show freak and lives in squalor until he is seen by proper Victorian gentleman and doctor Fredrick Treves (Michael Matthys). Treves takes mercy as well as a scientific interest in Merrick and gives him sanctuary inside the prestigious London Hospital where, together, they pursue some modicum of normalcy for the horribly afflicted man. Through the efforts of Treves and the generosity of hospital donors, Merrick finds a home at the London and begins to heal. As part of his treatment, Treves hires the well-known actress Ms. Kendal (Cynthia Beckert) to aid Merrick and lift his sprits. Lift his spirits she does, but the convention of the Victorian ideal combined with the pressures of Merrick’s unusual burden soon put doctor and patient at odds and force Miss Kendal away. As Treves endeavors to repair Merrick’s body, he discovers that he, too, is in need of healing, but of a very different kind. Together, the pair reaches a greater understanding of each other and themselves all while commenting on the contradictions of the society in which they dwell -or so it has been played a thousand times.

Playwright Bernard Pomerance provides a script open to unconventional story telling. He constructs a composition that is based around inference rather than special effects, suggesting among other devices that projected titles be used to guide the narrative. The Mechanicals Theatre Group has taken his structure and skillfully aerated it by injecting an imaginative and bold theatrical reality. They use it to its full potential.

Clothed in Steampunk inspired costumes with a vagabond touch, the audience feels at the onset as if a savant-like group of time traveling hobos has stumbled onto this text while rummaging through discarded treasures of years gone by. The production that emerges from their discovery contains elements of reader’s theatre, existentialism, and deep character study, but is somehow still seems completely cohesive and unified. The performers are strong; Beckert plays Kendal with all the persuasion and delicacy befitting the role. Richard Gilbert-Hill is compelling in the dual roles of Ross and Gomm, and Newman‘s Merrick is both odd and gripping with a great depth of feeling despite some lack of assuredness in the dream sequence. As Treves, Matthys nimbly coveys an understated honesty in the role that fits the style of the show to perfection while still maintaining every ounce of character and emotion that the part must exhibit. With eye-catching costumes and an absorbing set by Wan Chih Haley Ho, there is plenty of support for the players. The greatest success of this production, however, comes from the outstanding direction of Neil Patrick Stewart and the fearless, artistic, and visionary concept that he and his tremendous ensemble cast have built. Considerable liberties have been taken in cross gender casting, and at times the Englishness and authentic Victorian feel noticeably missing, but this cast’s unwavering commitment to Stewart’s goal and the fused vision of this highly stylized production make it effective across the board. The Elephant Man at the Pico Playhouse leaves a full sized creative foot print for future productions to try and follow.

The Elephant Man Plays at the Pico Playhouse until May 13th http://www.picoplayhouse.com/