The Baker's Dozen Presents The Elephant Man at The Enrichment Center in Winston-Salem

"The Baker's Dozen will present The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance opening on Thursday, April 10th at The Enrichment Center, 1006 S. Marshall Street. Performances will also be held Friday, April 11th and Sunday, April 13th. The weekday performances are at 7:00 pm and the Sunday matinee is at 1:00 pm. Instead of buying tickets, there is suggested donation of $8 to be collected at the door. These donations will be given to the Twin City Stage scholarship fund to help provide theatre experiences to those with financial need.

The Baker's Dozen is an independent, student-run acting troupe composed of high school students from across Forsyth County.  Originally founded in 2010 by a group of thirteen students, The Baker's Dozen recruits the top student actors from local high schools each year. Together, these students direct, produce, and perform shows, then donate the proceeds to charity. This year The Baker's Dozen consists of ten full-time members from Reynolds, West Forsyth, Glenn, Summit, and Forsyth County Day School. Over the past four years The Baker's Dozen has raised more than $13,000 for charities such as the Children's Home, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Amos Cottage, Open Arms Community Inc., the Innocence Project, The Educator's Institute for Human Rights in Rwanda, The Mental Health Association of Forsyth County, and Camp Hope. The goal of The Baker's Dozen is to enrich the community through the arts and to make a positive impact on Forsyth County and the world by contributing to causes both local and global.

The Elephant Man is a serious drama based on the life of John Merrick, a horribly deformed man who lived at the London Hospital during the Victorian era. The play explores what it means to be "normal" in modern society. Notable for not using make-up to portray Merrick, the show allows the audience to imagine for themselves how Merrick appeared. The winner of the 1979 Tony Award for Best Play, as well as The Drama Desk award for Outstanding New Play, The Elephant Man was hailed as "a giant of a play" (New York Post). The New York Times called it "an enthralling and luminous play. Haunting, splendid.”

The Elephant Man will be directed by Adam Chase, with set and costumes by Kayla Guffey and Jacob Weinberg. The cast is as follows:

Ian Buff -- John Merrick

Adam Chase -- Fredrick Treves, Belgian Policeman

Kayla Guffey -- Miss Kendal

Samuel Shaver -- Dr. Carr Gomm, Conductor

Joseph Hilleary -- Ross, Lord John, Snork

Lance Smith -- Bishop Walsham Howe, Pinhead Manager, London Policeman

Caiti Yates -- Nurse Sandwich, Duchess, Princess Alexandra, Pinhead

Thatcher Johnson-Welden -- Countess, Porter, Pinhead

The play is made possible by a grant from The Youth Grant Makers Association. Costumes and set are provided by Twin City Stage."

A press release