Northern Kentucky University's department of theatre and dance has created a masterful evening with its production of Bernard Pomerance's The Elephant Man. Director Ken Jones takes his audience on an elegant journey through the real-life story of John Merrick, a young man inflicted with a horribly deforming series of disorders not understood until nearly a century after his death. Set in Victorian London between 1884 and 1890, the story of this physical monster and his deep humanity is revealed through the course of the play.

Questions are raised: What is normal? What are the rules? Who decides the rules? Does following the rules make us happy -- or imprison our souls.

Dr. Frederick Treves discovers Merrick in a seedy sideshow and eventually provides a nurturing environment him, after a life of scorn and mistreatment when he never knew his past or what was to come.

As Merrick becomes the toast of London society, visited by royalty and celebrity, many people see themselves reflected in him. The script becomes about how much like us he may be, rather than how different and terrifying he appears.

The success of this play rests on the shoulders of the actor playing Merrick. Senior Roderick Justice approaches the unbelievably demanding role with both physical grace and intellectual acuity. Elaborate makeup effects would only get in the way of this performance. Justice contorts his frail body and face with such consistent agony that the audience fully understands the torment his life contains. Despite his pain, he projects the warmth and humor that makes this character so compelling.

John West as Dr. Treves never fails to see the man inside the "Elephant Man." The actor digs deeply into Treves' heart and brings forth a man of science who is also capable of feeling Merrick's painful circumstances. (Treves was, in fact, Queen Victoria's personal surgeon.) West examines the doctor's frustration with his inability to really help Merrick even as he provides him with comfort and stability.

The composite character of Mrs. Kendal (Denise Devlin) is based on several of the historical Dr. Treves -- a widow and a well known actress. Devlin brings the character to life with charm, wit and vulnerability. She portrays the actress as a savvy Victorian, aware of the rules of society and perfectly willing to follow her own path. She acknowledges that Merrick is a man before her, trapped by circumstances nobody quite understands, imprisoned in his own distorted flesh. The subtlety and dignity she brings to their most intimate moments reveals the depth of her character.

The balance of the cast present great focus and intensity, particularly Gabe Johnson's overly articulate Carr Gomm.

Megan Graves, playing an uncredited score, adds immensely to the atmosphere, with her piano. The costumes were well designed and executed giving the talented cast yet another valuable tool.

From the grand sideshow canvas proclaiming "The Elephant Man" to the imaginative circus-wagon turntable set, designer Samantha Reno provides a colorful backdrop full of painterly elements that evoke alternately nightmare, grim reality and serenity, enhanced by Terry D. Powell's lighting design.

The script is heartfelt and, for the most part, historically accurate. Oddly, Merrick's death, played agonizingly by Justice, was apparently not the case. In Treves' book, The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, he describes Merrick's death: "He was lying on his back as if in sleep, and evidently died suddenly and without a struggle, since not even the coverlet of the bed was disturbed."

Ken Jones and his student cast have created a gem at NKU's Corbett Theatre. This could be one of the most satisfying evenings you have spent at the theater in a long while. Grade: B+