“The Elephant Man,” the provocative play by Bernard Pomerance, is this year's fall theater production at the Yulman Theatre. Directed by Theater & Dance Costumer Lloyd Waiwaiole, it features 11 students.
Performances are Tuesday, Oct. 31 through Saturday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m.
“The Elephant Man” is about John Merrick, a side-show freak in England in the late 1880s.
“This is a big play, with a big name and reputation, and has been produced on both Broadway and in film,” says Professor William Finlay, the play's producer and director of the Theater department. “Nobody will walk out of the theater without having been emotionally affected.”
“People realized the Elephant Man was a bright, charming, intelligent and witty human being,” says Waiwaiole. “He became the darling of the royal and upper class because they wanted to be perceived as benevolent and compassionate. They were using him on some level.”
Davin Reed '07 plays Merrick, and Justin Silvestri '07, Rich Leahy '08, Shannon Vandawalker '10, Jonathan Gerard '08, Victor Cardinali '08, Michael Hamill '07, Michelle Curiale '07, Keegan Peters '08, Christina Chen '10 and Mary Roberts '09 round out the cast.
Students in the tech production class are in charge of sets, lighting and sound.
Tickets for the play are $7 for members of the Union College community and $10 general admission. For reservations, call the Yulman Theatre Box Office at ext. 6545.