By Bernard Pomerance Publication and Awards Published in 1979 1979 opening awards Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play Tony Award for Best Play New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best ID: 564377
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Slide1
The Elephant Man
By: Bernard
PomeranceSlide2
Publication and AwardsPublished in 1979
1979 opening awards- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, Tony Award for Best
Play, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best
Play
2002 revival nominations- Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor and Featured Actress
2014 revival nominations- Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Play, Leading Actor, and Featured Actor and ActressSlide3
Title SignificanceThe title Elephant Man pertains to the attraction name given to John Merrick when he worked at the circus. He was given the name for his disturbing appearance and the fact that his mother was hit by an elephant while she was pregnant with John, which is believed to be at least part of the cause of his deformity.Slide4
CharactersMerrick: A deformed man
Treves: Well known surgeon and medical researcher
Ross: Merrick’s old business
partener
Mrs. Kendal: Famous actress and friend to MerrickSlide5
SettingIt occurs at a research hospital in London, England from 1884 to 1890
The entire plot occurs because of the scientific advances of the time and societies need to further expand its knowledge, so Dr. Treves decides to study Merrick to isolate the extent and cause of his deformities
It takes place in London and it pertains to the prim and proper of the English versus Merrick’s peculiar deformity.Slide6
ThemesNot every one is what they seemSlide7
ConflictThe conflict is between Merrick’s deformity and society. In the beginning Merrick is ridiculed for his appearance even though he is mentally a completely functional person Merrick is the protagonist but a physical representation of an antagonist is never really establishedSlide8
SummaryMerrick is discovered by Dr. Treves and is taken in for study, which is the inciting incident. Treves gives Merrick a new comfortable life while he studies what has caused and has changed about Merrick’s tragedy. During the study Merrick begins one of his own on Treves and the inability for Treves to change his own view point. Unfortunately he dies after living with Treves for a few short years.Slide9
Quotespg. 12-13(“The most striking feature about him is his head…permanently lame, so that he could only walk with a stick.”Slide10
New WordstuppenceapurtureSlide11
Personal ReactionI enjoyed the play for the most part, but to me it felt brief. It jumped from scene to scene with no real transition. It could be a result of how I read it, the tendency for plays to be much better performed than read, or the fact that it was based on real events, but the coherence of the play didn’t seem to present itself in a
logical way.