Saying goodbye to the visionary filmmaker David Lynch feels profoundly personal. His remarkable film The Elephant Man was the first to truly portray Joseph Merrick as he genuinely was, with both dignity and a deep humanity. That film was a huge inspiration for my own 2011 production of Bernard Pomerance’s celebrated play, where we also made a conscious effort to honor Merrick’s true appearance—the first stage production to ever do so. This experience remains one of the most meaningful and transformative moments of my life.
David Lynch was truly one of the greatest visual storytellers. My deepest farewell.