Bernard Pomerance and the Elephant Man

Bernard Pomerance and the Elephant Man

Bernard Pomerance was born in 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. He attended college at the University of Chicago, where he received a degree in English. In the 1970's Pomerance moved to London, England to become a novelist. He was unsuccessful and then decided to try his hand as a dramatist. He quickly got involved with several left-wing fringe groups, which where at the time thriving in England. Then, along with director Ronald Rees, he founded the Foco Nove Theater group. Throughout Pomeranc's career nearly all of his plays were at one time preformed at his Foco Novo theater..

Pomerance became fairly successful as a play write. His first play, High in Vietnam Hot Damn, was first produced by the Foco Novo Theater group in 1971 in London. Hospital and Thanksgiving Before Detroit where also produced by the Foco Novo Theater group in 1971. In 1972 a play called Foco Novo was produced by the Foco Novo Theater group. In 1974 Someone Else is Still Someone was produced. A adaption of a play by Brecht, A Man's a Man, was produced in 1975. The Elephant Man, Pomerance's only really popular piece of work came out in 1979. It was first produced at the Hempstead Theater in London. It was then produced off Broadway at the Theater of St. Peters church, and on Broadway at the Booth Theater in New York City. After The Elephant Man Pomerance produced Faber in 1981 and Melons in 1985, but neither became popular like The Elephant Man. During Pomerance's career he also published one novel called We Need to Dream All This Again, but it was unsuccessful. Most of Pomerance's plays were reasonably liked, but none were recognized and praised like The Elephant Man. The Elephant man received a Tony, the Drama Des...

... middle of paper ...

...Thanksgiving Before Detroit

-Foco Novo

-Someone Else is Still Someone

-A Mans a Man

-The Elephant Man

- Faber

-Melons

The Elephant man was Pomerance's most popular play and it won Many awards

-Tony

-Drama Desk Award

-New York drama Critics Award

-Obi

Made into movie in 1980 staring John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Wendy Hiller, and Anne Bancraft. Preformed by David Bowie the rock singer in 1979

True story of John Merrick who lived from 1863 to 1890. He was deformed and had a head that was 36' in circumference.

John Merrick and Dr. Treves are used metophoricly. John represents people and his deformities their uniqueness. Dr. Treves represents rules and conformity.

Themes

-the arbitrariness of existence, posed against a hunger for design.

-the simple theme of miss judging people buy their appearance.