The life of Joseph Merrick, a severely deformed Victorian Englishman, dubbed the “Elephant Man” during his lifetime and publicly exhibited as a human curiosity, is the subject of the penultimate show in Theatre Intime’s 2010-11 season. Its production of “The Elephant Man,” Bernard Pomerance’s meticulously researched and moving play about Merrick and the doctors who cared for him at the London Hospital in the final years of his life, is well acted and executed but lacking in several other respects.
Nick Hybel ’12 delivers a strong leading performance as Frederick Treves, the physician who rescued Merrick from his itinerant existence as an exhibit and ultimately befriended him during his long stay at the London Hospital. Hybel’s acting effectively captures the range of the character, blending an air of efficient scientific competence with real sympathy for Merrick’s plight. Olivia Nice ’14 also deserves credit for a nuanced portrayal of the Victorian actress Madge Kendal, one of several prominent individuals who were introduced to and became close to Merrick during his hospitalization. A pivotal scene in which, moved by Merrick’s lifelong loneliness, she undresses on stage in front of him is tasteful and poignant.
Director Cara Tucker ’12 wisely chooses not to attempt to realistically costume Ben Taub ’13, who plays Merrick in the production. In a particularly effective scene near the beginning of the play, Taub, dressed in a black loincloth and standing on a platform, mimes the shape of each of Merrick’s deformities as Hybel reads a medical report about them. For most of the show Taub walks with a limp and cane and talks with an obvious speech impediment, but otherwise physically appears normal. This approach avoids the challenge of developing a costume that would reduce Merrick to a caricature and gives Taub substantial freedom to evoke the plight of the Elephant Man through his acting, which he generally does well.
Despite the large number of short scenes in “The Elephant Man,” this production moves quickly, with transition times minimized by excellent work by Aryeh Stein-Azen ’13 and Molly Brean ’13, the stage manager and assistant stage manager, respectively. Ryohei Ozaki’s ’14 brief violin pieces during each transition also offer an appealing diversion from the numerous scene changes. Brean is a senior writer and Ozaki is a copy editor for the ‘Prince.’
The set, designed by Ben Schaffer ’11, is very simple and a poor fit for the play. To cite the clearest example of this, for much of “The Elephant Man” Merrick reclines on a bed with a coarse, unfinished wood frame. Given that he interacts with many representatives from London high society during this time, including members of the royal family, it seems a bit too rustic to be plausible. Even a single coat of paint on the bed’s frame would have enhanced the production in an important way.
Unfortunately, Tucker offers little insight, whether explicitly in her director’s note or implicitly through production choices, into why she selected Pomerance’s play for an Intime production or its relevance to a Princeton audience. The three paragraphs of her rather ponderous note are devoted to historical background on the biographical pamphlets Merrick sold at his public exhibitions, Treves’ retrospective written account of Merrick’s case and the factual liberties Pomerance took in crafting his play. Perhaps Tucker feels that the extraordinary circumstances of Merrick’s life and the sustained fascination they have inspired are sufficient justification for mounting the play; nevertheless, some comment about what the show had to offer to present-day Princetonians would have been appreciated. For instance, what “The Elephant Man” might have to say about the practice of medicine and how it has evolved is an intriguing question at an institution where so many undergraduates aspire to be physicians.
Compounding these specific shortcomings, the production overall seemed to me to be somewhat under-theorized and lacking a coherent vision. The acting was generally strong and the technical work competent, but everything did not quite come together to form a compelling, relevant night of theatre. The house was deserted the night I saw the production, and, although it is unfortunate that the good work done by the cast of “The Elephant Man” will likely be enjoyed by just a handful of students, I frankly can’t blame the student body for not treating the production as a must-see.
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