Elephant Man strong in storyline, cast

November 14, 2005 —

by Ashley Hart

Tiffany Harrison, a third-year student, prepares backstage for Sunday's performance of Elephant Man. Harrison plays Nurse Sandwich.

by Ashley Hart

Josh Thomas of Ludington makes the finishing touches on his hair. The fourth-year student played Bishop How and Man in Elephant Man.

by Ashley Hart

Senior Julie Berkobien, who plays Countess, gives her husband, Justin Berkobien, a quick massage. Justin plays the physically demanding role of John Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man.

by Ashley Hart

Elephant Man portrays the true story of an Englishman living in the Victorian era named John Merrick. He was born with a disease that was hideously deforming, now called neurofibromatosis. This crippling disease sentenced Merrick to life as a social outcast and exploited freak show.

The play tells the story of how he was found on the street by a doctor named Frederick Treves. Dr. Treves rescues Merrick from a man taking advantage of him in a "circus side-show scam" and helps John discover his hidden intelligence and sensitive nature, intellectually liberating him from his terrible past. In the end, no matter what Merrick can achieve, or what he is recognized as, he is still a prisoner of his physical appearance.

One of the most unique characteristics of the play is the lack of the serious physical malformation you can see, a strategy used in keeping with the author's wishes. The somewhat recent movie version uses elaborate makeup and costuming to recreate Merrick's body; the play uses only vocals and contorting of the body to suggest his hideous appearance. The audience is left with only their imagination to decide what the elephant man looks like, personalizing and involving the viewers in every step of his struggle.

Justin Berkobien, the actor playing Merrick in the SVSU theatre's production, does an excellent job using only his body and voice to guide the audience's imagination in a recreation of what he may have looked like.

To say that Berkobien stole the show, however, would be an inadequate portrayal of the entire ensemble. All of the actors and actresses were of excellent caliber, but Adam Arnold, playing Dr. Treves, and Darryn Crocker in the role of Mrs. Kendal both gave very powerful performances that were incredibly in touch with the emotions of their characters.

The cast seemed to also be comfortable with their individual dialects. The story, having taken place mostly in London, called for every player to speak in a historically correct reproduction of varying accents based on location and social class. For the most part, the actors portrayed their individual character's voice well, with only a few instances of wavering.

The truth and relevance of this story, nonetheless, is what makes it so powerful, not only historically, but in our world today. The author did not write this solely as a tribute to John Merrick's struggle, but as a reminder to future generations to base their opinions on something more than outward appearance. Elephant Man gives us a chance to see our mistakes on stage, and ensure that we don't judge each other in the same way.

The SVSU theatre department's performance of Elephant Man is worthwhile for anyone with an open mind to go and see. Its emotional depth and relevancy to our world has made it a classic in the past, and this performance has made it unforgettable.