Don’t forget to join us TONIGHT, OCTOBER 5th AT 6:30PM for a FREE pre show panel discussion before the Elephant Man at the Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket, RI. You are also invited to meet the panel members and actors at a reception following the performance in the lobby.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENING’S PERFORMANCE IS SOLD OUT. PLEASE CONTACT THE GAMM THEATRE FOR OTHER SHOW TIMES.
If you are unable to attend this evenings discussion, or if you want to continue the discussion after the event has passed, please feel free to discuss the essays from panelist’s Victoria Lewis and Dennis Hurley below.
The event Friday night was terrific! The play and actors were wonderful but the panel discussion before was really great. It gave me lots to think over, about disability in general and about ideas in the play.
I have never heard or thought about how in history because people in religion and science and now movies had such powerful influence over not just individual people with disabilities lives, but how that grew to affect how and why most people see us as inferior.
I wish we had more time to talk, it was really interesting. Thank you for all the great work you did and hope you can have more events like this.
Kudos to VSA arts and Gamm for working together, we could use more partnerships like this in RI. Not only was the play great, but the conversation before it and essays in the program gave me a new perspective to consider while watching.
While the struggles of John Merrick might be more severe, in listening to what people with disabilities in attendence had to say it seems their struggles for understanding and acceptance now are still much the same.
Isn’t that a sad commentary on our society and culture? Even though I work with people with disabilities I didn’t quite realize this.
I hope that more projects like this can be developed. To talk about issues and history of diability within the context of also watching relevant dramatic art was a great and meaningful experience. I hope VSA arts and Gamm will continue to work together, more people need to experience nights and art like this.
Thank you
BRAVO! Wonderful event, powerful insightful discussion. My husband and I were delightfully moved in many ways. Thank you, we’re looking forward to more of these types of events in the future. We need more of this in our communities.
-Mavis and Dennis Murphy of Cumberland Rhode Island