From the Inside Out

Nobody knows what it's like to be disabled more than the people who actually live with disabilities. That's why a new production of Bernard Pomerance's The Elephant Man, presented by the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League, is certain to have added depth: The play is based on the...

By Susan Froyd

February 23, 2012

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Nobody knows what it's like to be disabled more than the people who actually live with disabilities. That's why a new production of Bernard Pomerance's The Elephant Man, presented by the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League, is certain to have added depth: The play is based on the true story of John Merrick, a deformed nineteenth-century man who endured life first as a circus freak and later as a curiosity on display for the aristocracy.

"It's a story inherently about disability advocacy -- what it's like to live with a disability. We have a whole cast of people with disabilities," notes co-director Bryce Alexander. "From the very first rehearsal, the cast was deeply engaged in the subject matter. They passionately wanted to represent themselves through the characters they play and embrace the message of John Merrick's life. It is represented through PHAMALY more critically and in a more natural sense than could be done by any other company."

The powerful drama, which ended a run of the show at the Aurora Fox earlier this month, is back for the weekend, at least, tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada. Admission is $26 to $29; for more information, go to www.phamaly.org or call 303-739-1970.
Fri., Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m., 2012

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Susan Froyd started writing for Westword as the "Thrills" editor in 1992 and never quite left the fold. These days she still freelances for the paper in addition to walking her dogs, enjoying cheap ethnic food and reading voraciously. Sometimes she writes poetry.

Contact: Susan Froyd

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