John Merrick had lived for more than twenty years imprisoned in a body that condemned him to a miserable life in the workhouse and to humiliation as a circus sideshow freak. But beneath that tragic exterior, within that enormous and deformed head, thrived the soul of a poet, the heart of a dreamer, the longings of a man. Merrick was doomed to suffer forever—until the kind Dr. Treves gave him the first real home in the London Hospital and the town's most beautiful and esteemed actress made possible Merrick's cherished dream of human contact—and love.

“An enthralling and luminous play” about the nineteenth-century man whose physical deformity doomed him to the life of an outcast: “haunting [and] splendid” (The New York Times). The Elephant Man is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man, a freak attraction in traveling side shows, is found abandoned and helpless and is admitted for observation to Whitechapel, a prestigious London hospital. Under the care of a famous young doctor who educates him and introduces him to London society, Merrick changes from a sensational object of pity to the urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati. But his belief that he can become a man like any other is a dream never to be realized. After premiering in London, The Elephant Man went on to Broadway where it won the Tony for Best Play in 1979. It was later revived in a Broadway production starring Bradley Cooper. “TheElephant Man is a moving drama. Lofted on poetic wings, it nests on the human heart.” —Time Magazine

'Gather round - prepare to be amazed! A sight so very gruesome that you simply won't believe it. Ladies and gentlemen - THE ELEPHANT MAN!' Joseph doesn't look like other people. His skin is thick and lumpy, his limbs are oddly shaped, and his head has a big bony bump. People call him Elephant Man and scream in terror when they see him. But inside, Joseph longs for a friend to understand him. As Joseph is bullied and rejected at every turn, his situation grows more and more desperate. But a meeting with a kind doctor holds the hope to change his life Based on the famous true story of Joseph Merrick, Elephant Man is a powerful tale about being different, finding happiness in even the hardest circumstances, and discovering beauty inside everyone. The unforgettable true story of one young man's immense courage and his unbreakable spirit.

The true story of John (Joseph) Merrick--a.k.a. the Elephant Man--has captured the imagination of generations of audiences, critics, actors and filmmakers. In 1978, producer Jonathan Sanger received a screenplay from two unknown writers about a hideously disfigured man who refused to fall victim to despair and instead exemplified human dignity. Reading it (twice), Sanger was determined that Merrick's story would be told. This book is Sanger's unvarnished first-person account of how The Elephant Man (1980) was made. His adventure in filmmaking--itself a study in triumph over despair--involved special effects nightmares, scheduling conflicts, location issues and many risky decisions. Assembling a team that included Mel Brooks (executive producer), David Lynch (director) and actors John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins, Sanger persevered in making this inspiring, award-winning film.

Kenneth Sherman's collection Words for Elephant Man delves into the fascinating life of Joseph Merrick, the titular `Elephant Man' who came to prominence as a sideshow curiosity in England in the late nineteenth century. Sherman's spare, captivating verse gives a voice to Merrick's fraught and complex existence, and couples it with a genuine compassion quite distant from the chill of a gawking public.