Howie Vreeland – John Merrick/The Elephant Man
Danny Erickson – Dr. Frederick Treves
Michael Wesley – Carr Gomm
Abby Schnobrich – Mrs. Kendall
Adam Logeman – Bishop Walsham How/London Policeman
Emma Peterka – Barker Rosie
Erick Austin – Barker Ross
Tara Dykema – Anne Treves
Kendra Banwell – Miss Sandwich (nurse)/Pinhead #3
Sabrina Keller – Pinhead #2
Leah Webster – Lady Elizabeth John
Sasha Blimminkora – Duchess/Sally Snork
Kim Colgan – Countess
Madison Schiller – Princess Alexandra/Pinhead #1
Kenzie Kalway – Porter
Brennan Orth – Belgian Policeman

The Elephant Man is the moving, poetic, and true-life story of Joseph Carey Merrick.  The play explores the journey of this remarkable man, from an object of curiosity and social revulsion to celebrity.

In the play, John Merrick is a man whose body is so grossly deformed by disease that he lives as a carnival attraction “The Elephant Man,” in the slums of London  A renowned and affluent doctor, Frederick Treves endeavors to study Merrick’s condition and convinces the Londong Hospital to take him in as a resident patient.  A friendship between the two men blossoms and Treves, as well as the hospital staff, discover that Merrick is not the mindless victim they thought him to be, but a man of remarkable intelligence and sensitivity.  His life, tragic destiny, and spiritual quest, is relevant to our lives today on countless levels.

While animals may abandon their disabled, as human beings we would like to believe that we have evolved beyond this behavior, and certainly the little protections afforded by our anti-discrimination laws are a step in the right direction.  But as the story of Joseph Merrick tells us, there is a lot more we can do to foster the spiritual and artisitc nature of all human beings, including those in whom nature has altered the standard set of genes.

History

The Elephant Man was first produced in London at the Hampstead Theatre. It soon moved to New York and opened Off-Broadway at the Theatre of St. Peter’s Church, and then to Broadway and the Booth Theatre. Pomerance’s play earned good reviews and a number of awards, including a Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Obie Award.

The play is based on the story of Joseph Merrick; in large part, it draws from the book by Frederick Treves, which chronicles Merrick’s life story. Critics applauded Pomerance’s efforts to depict the conflict that results when Treves saves Merrick from the freak shows only to exploit Merrick himself.

The play earned a Tony Award for Best Play in 1979, and several of the actors and actresses in the show have recieved Tonys for their performances in The Elephant Man.

Memorable Quotes

Bytes: Life!…is full of surprises.  Consider the fate of this creature’s poor mother, struck down in the fourth month of her maternal condition by an elephant, a wild elephant. Struck down!…on an uncharted African isle.  The result is plain to see..Ladies and gentlemen…The terrible…Elephant Man!

John Merrick: I am not an animal!  I am a human being! I…am…a man!

Mrs. Kendall: Why, Mr. Merrick, you’re not an elephant man at all.
John Merrick: Oh no?
Mrs. Kendall: Oh no…no…you’re a Romeo!

Carr Gomm: Can you imagine the kind of life he must have had?
Dr. Frederick Treves: Yes, I think I can.
Carr Gomm: I don’t think so.  No one could possibly imagine it!  I don’t believe any of us can.

John Merrick: People are frightened by what they don’t understand.

John Merrick: Do you know why my head is so big, Miss Kendall? It is because it is filled with dreams.

April 29th – 7:30 pm
April 20th – 7:30 pm
May 1st – 7:30 pm
May 2nd – 2:30 pm matinee

Tickets

$5 for students and seniors
$7 for adults

Call (320) 253-1600 ext. 2113

Watch this exclusive video of the Apollo Performing Arts Center drama production of The Elephant Man!

The Elephant Man - Apollo High School Spring 2010

In a season riddled with difficult illnesses and unavoidable conflicts, the students and directors of this production have worked exhaustively– yet enthusiastically.  This cast and crew is ready to showcase what happens when talent and tenacity join forces with heart and soul to whisk the audiences off to Urinetown: (The Musical, that is)!              

Sincerely,

Deborah J. Bendix, Director

Understudies
Hope/Little Sally – Leah Webster
Henriette Hot Blades – Melissa Murray

Pit Orchestra
Piano – William C. White
Trombone – Ben Evanson
Cello – Spencer Frie
Bass – Mitch Kruger
Percussion – Joe Orcutt
Saxophone – Joel Thielman
Clarinet – Mallory White

Crew

Lights
Matt Banks*
Kasey Haight
Alex Kayser
Austin Rice

Sound
Mariah Nix*
Cj O’Hara
Sam Kjolhaug

Stage
Kiersty Jehoich*
Lisa Krueger*
Erin Banks
Kenzy Jehoich
Mike Krugman
June Vormalee

Costumes
Megan Maricle-Roberts*
Sam Botz
Tram Bui
Sara Doroff

Publicity
Kendra Banwell
Amanda Maricle-Roberts

Set Building
Heather Colgan
Parker Kayser
Jim Kurzhals

* Denotes crew leader

With a title like Urinetown: The Musical, one might ask Shakespeare’s question, “What’s in a name?”  Once the initial reaction to the title wears off (and be assured there is an initial reaction), the audience quickly sees why Urinetown: The Musical  is heralded as “one of the most wickedly-witty, musicals in years”… 

The basic premise to this Tony-Award Winning musical is simple:  A terrible water shortage has caused a 20-year drought which has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a monopoly that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs (much like the days when Romans were taxed for this same service).  Amid the people, a hero emerges and a revolt for the people’s freedoms begins! This is a revolution not unlike those that fill our own history books.  This musical comedy satirizes capitalism, social irresponsibility, corporate mismanagement, bureaucracy, petty small town politics, and the role we all play on life’s stage.   A delightful bonus to the plotline is an underlying spoof of Broadway’s favorite musicals including:  Les Miserables, Guys and Doll, West Side Story, Oliver, Annie, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Fiddler On the Roof, and  Titanic.  Be forewarned, the musical is likely to leave you  toe-tapping and thinking long beyond the curtain call!  Enjoy Central Minnesota’s Premier of Urinetown: The Musical!

How did Urinetown: The Musical come about?  The story goes like this:  “A few years back, a cash-strapped writer, Greg Kotis wandered the cold, rainy streets of Paris deciding whether to use one of the pay-per-use toilets or to pee-free in a back alley.  It was then that an idea struck him for a play about a city where all public toilets were controlled by one monopoly.  Relieved and back in New York, Kotis created Urinetown with the help of friend composer Mark Hollman.  They created the show literally in a church basement on weekends.  They never expected the show to end up on Broadway.  They never expected the show to win the highly coveted 2002 Tony Awards Triple Crown!” Thus, having to go to the bathroom, and. having to pay for one of life’s most basic necessities, became a play about corruption, oppression, class war-fare and environmental degradation, now one of the most celebrated plays on Broadway!