The Ranger Online

Issue date: 9/14/07 Section: Premiere

Media Credit: Davina Almeida Theater arts sophomores Bernardo Valdez and Matthew Gonzalez rehearse "Elephant Man" Tuesday as director Ronnie Watson stands nearby.

Theater arts sophomores Bernardo Valdez and Matthew Gonzalez rehearse "Elephant Man" as director Ronnie Watson stands nearby Tuesday.

For those interested in a play that will change their views on people and how they treat each other, "Elephant Man" is a must see, says director Ronnie Watson.

The Tony Award winning play was written by Bernard Pomerance and performances have starred actors such as David Bowie.

The theater and communications department will perform the play based on the book and award-winning play Oct. 4-14 in the theater in McCreless Hall.

This is "a play about how we treat people that are different," Watson, a theater instructor, said Sept. 6.

The play is about how people treat the needy only to help themselves feel righteous in a self-serving way.

The cast consists of 20, which is larger than most of this college's drama productions.

Providing mostly handmade Victorian costumes for a large number of people can be difficult.

Bernardo Valdez, a theater sophomore, plays John Merrick. He uses no prosthetics and portrays the Elephant Man's disfigurations by the actions in his movement and expressions on his face, something that was done in the play originally.

A scene of brief nudity exposed by Mrs. Kendall, portrayed by Laura Tomerlin, a theater sophomore, will consist of only her bare back from the waist up.

The London surgeon, Frederick Treves, will be played by theater sophomore Matthew Gonzalez.

The Elephant Man, John Merrick, has been deformed since he was a child.

Set in the Victorian era of the 1800s, Merrickw has been abused, used as a side show freak and left to deal with this world on his own.

A rising surgeon, Frederick Treves, discovers John while passing by the sideshow carnival and his interest is piqued.

Arranging to use Merrick for medical purposes, Treves displays him and goes into detail about his grotesque anatomy.

Later, Treves rescues Merrick from the sideshow and arranges for him to stay in the London hospital and Treves positions himself as his personal caretaker.

Merrick's life after this is changed.

He is visited by local celebrities and Queen Victoria.

An actress, Mrs. Kendall, is hired to meet with Merrick because Treves feels it is important he is exposed to women.

The events following change Merrick's life and those around him for the better.

The show starts at 8 p.m. Oct. 4-6 and 12-13 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 7 and 14 in McCreless Theater.

Tickets are free to district students and employees with identification and $10 for adults, $8 for seniors.

No young children will be allowed in the auditorium.

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