Students, Staff, and Alumni bring a War Hawk Flair to ACT’s “The Elephant Man”  

The Abilene Community Theatre concluded its production of The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance, February 20th through March 1st. Named for the real life and experiences of Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man explores the story of a man who spent much of his life treated terribly because of the physical deformities caused by his medical condition. A whole cast and crew was required in order to share the impact of Merrick’s story, and many of those faces can be found right here at one time or another at McMurry University,  

You don’t have to go very far down the program to find the first McMurry alumni. In the director’s helm of the production was current McMurry Database Manager, Mike Stephens. In addition to helping students with IT issues, he helps manage a plethora of vital information for students, and as result he plays a major role in almost every student’s life. He also serves informally as a longtime advocate, mentor, and supporter of the McMurry Theatre Department and its students, evident through how many other faces seen in this cast, and his weekly newsletter of all the Abilene theatre happenings. This brings us to our first and only McMurry current student in the production.  

Roberto Rueda, a senior, portrayed John Merrick requiring intense physical control and discipline to maintain Merrick’s physicality while still displaying the raw emotion of a man utterly traumatized. This is challenging for any actor, as they often rely on their entire body. In the stage version, unlike the well-known film adaptation directed by David Lynch, the actor does not rely on elaborate prosthetics. Instead, the performer’s body and voice create the illusion of Merrick’s condition. His portrayal was the cornerstone of the production and illustrates the level of discipline truly required to play the character faithfully.   

David Ainsworth, who played Carr Gomm, previously served as a theatre professor at McMurry for many years. Stephens states, “He was here for over two decades and did a lot of great things in the theatre department.” Performing again on the ACT stage, Ainsworth delivered an impressive performance as the articulate and kind administrator of Merrick’s hospital. Keri Henson, a 2008 McMurry graduate, appeared as Mrs. Kendal, the only woman Merrick has had any kind of meaningful relationship with. The real woman was an actress in the 1870’s in Merrick’s community, and a frequent supporter of his hospital. Lee Neighbors, a 2024 McMurry graduate, performed multiple roles including Snork and the policemen while also serving as a utility performer to move set pieces without breaking the suspension of disbelief.   

When discussing why this play was ultimately chosen for production, Stephens reflected on its continued relevance. “I believed it was an important play,” he said. “It was about a character who had been treated as less than human for his entire life.” That conviction guided the decision to bring the show to ACT’s stage after it had previously been passed over in an earlier season. Nearly fifty years after Pomerance wrote the script, the themes of dignity, perceptions, and righteous moral authority still stood strong with audiences. The most poignant quote to me being in reference to one of the men who would go on to mistreat Merrick, “he did not know the difference between exerting power over another and giving them a gift”.