Elephant Man

Don't be put off by the first 10 minutes of the Olney Theater production of ''The Elephant Man.'' For that much time, the presentation is loud and threatening, often a sign that we are in for more noise than entertainment.But, fortunately, the volume comes down. The yelling ends as quickly as it begins, and once it's over, this particular ''Elephant Man'' is a commendable interpretation of a most interesting play.The script has its faults. In the second act, Sir Frederick Treves, the surgeon who rescues the title character from life as a sideshow attraction, goes on and on and says very little.

Frank Zeidler, 93, a former Milwaukee mayor who was the last Socialist to run a major American city, died of congestive heart failure and diverticulitis Friday at a Milwaukee hospital. He led Milwaukee from 1948 through 1960, and his three terms as mayor were marked by large-scale construction of public housing, creation of the first educational television station in Wisconsin and city beautification programs. He also made strong statements on behalf of civil rights. He was part of the Socialist Party's city stronghold, which was fueled by German immigrants who flocked there.

OLNEY -- Bernard Pomerance's "The Elephant Man" is a beautiful account of an ugly man. Most of the play takes place in a hospital, but it is concerned more with healing the spirit than healing the body.From the opening plaintive cello strains that usher in Olney Theatre's production, the beautiful and ugly, spiritual and corporeal come together in this sensitive interpretation, directed Jim Petosa and highlighted by Bruce R. Nelson's riveting performance in the title role.Much of the script's genius is that it uses the details of the life of John Merrick -- a 19th century Englishman grossly disfigured by what is now believed to have been either neurofibromatosis or Proteus Syndrome -- to examine not only the distinction between internal and external beauty, but also such issues as the conflict between science and religion, the motivations behind charity and the quality of human nature.

NEW YORK - More gamin than advertised, Billy Crudup no sooner pops up - unassuming and unrecognized in his leather jacket and boot camp haircut - from the Eighth Avenue subway than he veers into the catacombs beneath the Royale Theater. There, polite as a Shubert Alley tour guide, he picks the safest path past a gantlet of Dumpsters. This may not be the only way for a Broadway star to access his dressing room, but it is Crudup's way. Artifice does not become this button-eyed actor. That's why, when he took on the role of John Merrick, the monstrously disfigured Englishman whose 19th-century travails are re-created in The Elephant Man, he opted to forgo prosthetic enhancement, consult his inner pain and simulate Merrick's agonies the natural way. The process unfolded without him consulting a mirror to check the end result - he is not keen on mirrors and vanity.

What most people know of the "Elephant Man," Joseph Merrick, is derived from David Lynch's austere and haunting movie of his life starring John Hurt.Now Hurt narrates "The True Story of the Elephant Man" (9 p.m.-10 p.m., Discovery Channel), a documentary about the Victorian-era victim of a disease that made his deformities a sideshow attraction before he was rescued by surgeon Frederick Treves.The documentary will feature rare photos of Merrick and derives some of its information from Merrick's previously unreleased medical records and skeletal remains.

Actor Bruce Nelson considers himself a clown -- on and off the stage -- whose life's ambition has always been to make people laugh.But as the deformed John Merrick in the current Olney production of "The Elephant Man," Nelson is making the audience cry.Immersed in the character of Merrick (a victim of neurofibromatosis, a disfiguring disease), this skilled young performer manages to keep his body painfully contorted, one arm limp at his side. His mouth is so twisted speech comes haltingly and hard.

The irony of neurofibromatosis, or elephant man's disease, as it is widely known, is that the Elephant Man may not have even had it.John Merrick, who lived in London in the late 1800s, was called the Elephant Man because of the tumors that distorted his body and made his face grotesque. Taken under the wing of a doctor and a London actress, he is known today through a play and film that show that a beautiful and sensitive inner person can lie beneath a hideous exterior.But modern scientists think it is just as likely that John Merrick had Proteus syndrome, a condition that is similar to neurofibromatosis but much more disfiguring.

One of the most heart-rending dramas will be presented at Theatre Outback this weekend and next, as students and alumni of Howard Community College perform "The Elephant Man." "The Elephant Man" tells the story of John (Joseph) Merrick, the unfortunate Englishman who, at age 5, contracted a horrendous disease now said to have been Proteus syndrome, a condition that results in abnormal, asymmetrical growths on the skin, eyes, ears, lungs, muscles and nerves. After spending time in traveling exhibitions capitalizing on his deformities, Merrick was befriended by a doctor who helped him interact with society while attempting to control his disease.

"No one with a history of back trouble should attempt the part of Merrick as contorted," writes Bernard Pomerance in a prefatory comment to his play "The Elephant Man." Good advice, since the role of title character John Merrick is a hideously deformed "show freak" who lives in Victorian London during the latter part of the 19th century. Under Susan G. Kramer's able direction, the student-alumni actors in the play at Howard Community College manage to bring off a stalwart, if uneven, production that captures the essence of the drama but struggles with its complexities and textures.

Gilbert Lesser's "Frankenstein" poster could stand as his signature because it's typical of his technique and his brand of creativity. Its image is simply a hand in red that looks as if it is made of several pieces of torn paper.It suggests Frankenstein's creation of a human being from parts of other human beings. It uses a two-dimensional, silhouette style and bold color, both of which Lesser was known for (and red was his color). And it reflects the way he worked, using cut or torn paper because, according to Ed Gold, his longtime friend, fellow graphic designer and former schoolmate at the Maryland Institute, "He couldn't draw worth a damn."

"No one with a history of back trouble should attempt the part of Merrick as contorted," writes Bernard Pomerance in a prefatory comment to his play "The Elephant Man." Good advice, since the role of title character John Merrick is a hideously deformed "show freak" who lives in Victorian London during the latter part of the 19th century. Under Susan G. Kramer's able direction, the student-alumni actors in the play at Howard Community College manage to bring off a stalwart, if uneven, production that captures the essence of the drama but struggles with its complexities and textures.

One of the most heart-rending dramas will be presented at Theatre Outback this weekend and next, as students and alumni of Howard Community College perform "The Elephant Man." "The Elephant Man" tells the story of John (Joseph) Merrick, the unfortunate Englishman who, at age 5, contracted a horrendous disease now said to have been Proteus syndrome, a condition that results in abnormal, asymmetrical growths on the skin, eyes, ears, lungs, muscles and nerves. After spending time in traveling exhibitions capitalizing on his deformities, Merrick was befriended by a doctor who helped him interact with society while attempting to control his disease.

Last call for `Elephant Man' This is the last weekend to see the Vagabond Players' production of Bernard Pomerance's 1988 Tony Award-winning play, "The Elephant Man." Based on the real-life story of John Merrick, a deformed man who lived in England during the Victorian era, the play presents Merrick without any graphic representation of deformity. Instead, an able-bodied actor portrays the character, indicating Merrick's misshapen form through posture alone, and thus allowing the audience to see the healthy, normal soul trapped inside.

What most people know of the "Elephant Man," Joseph Merrick, is derived from David Lynch's austere and haunting movie of his life starring John Hurt.Now Hurt narrates "The True Story of the Elephant Man" (9 p.m.-10 p.m., Discovery Channel), a documentary about the Victorian-era victim of a disease that made his deformities a sideshow attraction before he was rescued by surgeon Frederick Treves.The documentary will feature rare photos of Merrick and derives some of its information from Merrick's previously unreleased medical records and skeletal remains.

Gilbert Lesser's "Frankenstein" poster could stand as his signature because it's typical of his technique and his brand of creativity. Its image is simply a hand in red that looks as if it is made of several pieces of torn paper.It suggests Frankenstein's creation of a human being from parts of other human beings. It uses a two-dimensional, silhouette style and bold color, both of which Lesser was known for (and red was his color). And it reflects the way he worked, using cut or torn paper because, according to Ed Gold, his longtime friend, fellow graphic designer and former schoolmate at the Maryland Institute, "He couldn't draw worth a damn."

Since it is now clear that Bill Clinton is going to spend more time taking questions from you than taking questions from me, I thought I would share some interviewing tips with you.What's that? Why do you need tips from me?Hey, good question. See? You're learning already.But I have picked up a few journalistic tricks over the years that you might be able to use.For one thing, if you zip in your snotty questions early, like you just did to me, the subject of your interview may get defensive and clam up.So next time Bill Clinton comes to your town (or your McDonald's or your house)

''The Tall Guy'' is reminiscent of those comedies the English used to make, films starring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. The new film may be a little wackier, a bit more insane than those, but it does remind us of a time when the English were leaders in the movie comedy market.''The Tall Guy'' will in no way diminish the British reputation for good movie fun. The film, which may also remind some of ''A Fish Called Wanda'' (and before that, the ''Carry On, Doctor'' comedies), stars Jeff Goldblum as an American who has been trying to make it as an actor in London.

TELEVISIONA new look at work The Labor Day weekend is all about a holiday from work in celebration of work, so ABC News tonight offers a special on the subject of work. In "Revolution at Work," at 10 o'clock on Channel 13, host Forrest Sawyer examines how the workplace is changing rapidly and how employers must begin to greatly emphasize education and re-education to prepare their workersfor the future. Among the topics are reports on the Saturn, the General Motors automobile whose production process was designed to radically improve the way cars are made in the United States, and the health-care service industry.

On an afternoon in May 1966, John Glover, the first graduate of the Towson State University theater program, handed his father his freshly minted diploma and boarded a bus for New York City.This Saturday -- some 25 years later -- John Glover, Drama-Desk-award-winner and Emmy nominee, returns in triumph to Towson State to present a benefit show for the John Glover Scholarship Endowment for Acting Majors.The storyline sounds almost too perfect, doesn't it? Of such stuff is press-release mythology made.

ON AN AFTERNOON in May 1966, John Glover, the first graduate of the Towson State University theater program, handed his father his freshly minted diploma and boarded a bus for New York City.This Saturday -- some 25 years later -- John Glover, Drama-Desk-award-winner and Emmy nominee, returns in triumph to Towson State to present a benefit show for the John Glover Scholarship Endowment for Acting Majors.The story line sounds almost too perfect, doesn't it? Of such stuff is press-release mythology made.