The Mütter Museum presents The Elephant Man on Monday, April 11 at 6:30PM.
The Elephant Man tells the story of Joseph Merrick, a grossly deformed English man who was taken in by the Royal London Hospital from 1884 until his death in 1890. Dr. Frederick Treves, a young surgeon at the Hospital, first saw Merrick as he was being exhibited as part of a side-show near the hospital. He examined Merrick and persuaded the Hospital to allow him to stay on, despite the fact that his disorder was deemed incurable. In this way, Merrick not only was given his first real “home”, but was also introduced to and ultimately embraced by English society. The Tony Award-winning play portrays Merrick’s life while in the protective cocoon of the Hospital, and examines how he affected all who knew him.
The Ninth Wave Theatre’s presentation of this story at The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia is meant to underscore the horrific and tragic nature of Joseph Merrick’s disorder. And portraying the humanity and gentleness of the man who lived underneath those physical deformities will also reveal that same humanity within the people who have become part of the Museum’s collection.
The Ninth Wave Theatre creates site-specific theatrical events, which pair a unique or iconic place with a story or script that naturally complement and augment each other. It was founded in 2006 by director Kelly Colleen McMahon and has received acclaim in both Ireland and the US.
In partnership with the Ninth Wave Theater Company.
Register at: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1373661659
Mütter Museum 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103.
www.collphyphil.org/Site/mutter_museum.html