Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for the movie "The Elephant Man" (1980).

From the pages of a book in the 1920s to center stage in 1977 to the big screen in 1980, "The Elephant Man" officially made its way to the "sport of the arts" in 2018. "The Elephant Man" is a story of morality and compassion in the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution, and was brought onto the gym floor last winter by Invictus out of Austin, Texas.

The Independent World guard unveiled its show at the WGI San Antonio Regional, in the early 2018 season.

As soon as the floor was pulled out, the instantly recognizable symbol from the front cover of the 1979 Playbill revealed the concept.

The story of John Merrick, the so-called "Elephant Man," is one fraught with greed, fear, and misunderstanding. Having lost his mother when he was young, Merrick spent much of his life touring as a circus attraction, being treated no better than the animals in the exhibition next door. 

After being found by Dr. Sir Frederick Treves of the London Hospital, Treves gave Merrick sanctuary. Although he was met with doubt, Treves would soon prove Merrick's value as a human being.

Invictus' show walked the audience through the most impactful moments of the story. Beginning with Treves' medical examination of Merrick's deformities, he reveals the man behind the curtain to his peers as a part of a presentation. As a part of Merrick's ailments, he is unable to use his right arm at all and must sleep in an upright fetal position so he does not asphyxiate himself due to his enlarged head. 

The performers mimic this concept by using only their left arms for a large portion of the show, especially in the rifles.

Next, the flags and sabres take us through a soft moment of the show, the scene where Merrick begins speaking as a way to make himself more presentable to Treves' superior. 

Immediately following this act, we jump to the scene in which a famed theater actress, "Mrs. Kendal," brings Merrick a gift—Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

Merrick immediately opens the book to Act 1, Scene 5, Page 5. The scene concludes with a kiss between the two after entertaining an extended metaphor that draws parallels between faith, prayer, and love. This moment was displayed by Invictus through a graceful dance section.

Invictus moves through the plot by transitioning into the awful scene in which Merrick was taken back to a circus to be gawked at once again. Accompanied by thunder and lightning sounds, synonymous with the movie, the color guard's choreography builds into a pivotal piano chord with Merrick behind the curtain pleading, "I am not an animal... I am a human being!"

The finale of the show develops into a sensational flag feature and continues drove up the drama of the story, although it did leave things slightly open-ended.

In an activity that features show design that can often go over the heads of the casual spectator, Invictus's rendition of "The Elephant Man" was not that—it was accessible and relatable. And, was worth watching every time the group entered the floor in 2018.