The Elephant Man Fall Play Review: More than a story about a deformed man.

[Left to right] Grecia Lopez, Logan Gonzales, Matthew Gibson-Pometta, Norman Moore, Andy Garcia, Gabriella Valentin, Joselyn Rodriguez, Jessica Rivera, Jake Rivera. (Photo credit: Tuyen Vuong)

The lights come up, a man makes their way upstage, up close and personal with the audience. They look off to the side, brows furrowed in apprehension.  “I am a doctor, what would you have me do?” said Dr. Frederick Treves. 

Stage Wright presents The Elephant Man, written by Bernard Pomerance, directed and designed by Patrick Ham in the Black Box Theater.

In the play, we follow John Merrick who is called, “The Elephant Man” due to his physical deformities. He finds himself traveling in sideshows in which people pay to see him. After the business gets shut down by the local police, Merrick is forced to go to London. In London, he’s taken in by Dr. Frederick Treves who shows him what home truly is. While Treves does his best to give Merrick a normal life and dignity, society views Merrick as a charity case.

Logan Gonzales and Matthew Gibson-Pomenta looking at eachother. (Photo Credit: Miles Maceda)

The Elephant Man tackles how society treats physically disabled people and how when someone is trying to do the right thing, that doesn’t make them a good person as we saw with the Duchess, Countess, Princess Alexandra, and Mrs. Kendall. 

The directorial choice to have the production in the Black Box Theater. It made the audience feel as though we were like those who paid  to see John Merrick in all of his disgusting glory.

Logan Gonzalez, who played Dr. Frederick Treves, put on a compelling performance that really drove home the issues the play dives into. Gonzalez’s choices were clearly meticulous, making sure that when it came to the argument between Merrick and Treves, it was a standout moment. Not once did Gonzalez ever stray from the principals of Treves as a character and it shows, it was clear that he truly cared for Merrick’s wellbeing.

Logan Gonzales on stage writing in a journal. (Photo credit: Corwin Alamilla)

For John Merrick, Matthew Gibson-Pometta put on an astonishing performance. Gibson-Pometta was perfect for the character and I truly believe nobody could’ve played this character but him. Even when the lights were off, he moved in character. Gibson-Pometta was able to contort his face and body in certain ways without prosthetics. The way he spoke as Merrick was perfect and different. Not once did I feel like there was anything lacking or left to be desired, Gibson-Pometta made it clear that he was John Merrick and not someone playing the role. He truly put everything into this role and I commend him for it.

Matthew Gibson-Pometta in a bathtub on stage. (Photo credit: Samuel Saavedra)

Another perfect performance, a true standout star, as I left the theater continuing to think about him. Norman Moore who doubled as Ross and Bishop How. We started off meeting Moore as Ross in the beginning of the play as he’s promoting his sideshow. He was animated in a way that was aesthetically appealing and unhinged. Every movement was intentional and his energetic performance made me feel bad for Ross despite the character being a scumbag. Every time Moore was on stage, my eyes were immediately drawn to him. There’s no small roles, only small actors and Moore has a big future ahead of him.

Norman Moore standing on stage as the Bishop. (Photo credit: Corwin Alamilla)

A highlight was the projector work that was put in when showing off the Merrick in the beginning was beautiful and clever. As Treves talks about the Elephant Man, there’s a sheet that shows Merrick and zooms in on his contorted limbs as they talk about them. I give my kudos to Connor Timmerman for the projections.

When it came to the dream sequence in which Merrick was the doctor and Treves as the patient, it provided the perfect time to recall the projection work. While at first I was disappointed the projections weren’t utilized again, the lighting made up for it. The teal and green lighting shimmering across the stage was very psychedelic and pleasing.

Photo during the Dr. Treve's dream sequence. (Photo credit: Cecilia Rios)

All things considered, everyone involved did such a good job and it was clear they all had fun. The props and set design were lovely and the costumes were enjoyable. The play left me with the realization that even in the current day, people with physical disabilities are treated as a charity case. Doing good things to elevate how people see you doesn’t mean that you’re a good person at the end of the day.

If you’re interested in seeing the play, the remaining shows are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.. The tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students, cash only.

Photo of the Bishop praying with Merrick. (Photo credit: Sparkles Feliciano)