Mary Coyle Chase’s “Harvey” has been an American favorite since it was first brought to the Broadway stage in 1944. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1944, and its initial run lasted for 4 years - 1,775 performances. It has continually been revived around the globe since that time and in 1950 was adapted to film starring Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart – as anyone who hears the name “Harvey” relates to.

 

The story is about Elwood P. Dowd, a good natured, mild-mannered eccentric who is known in all of the cafeterias and saloons in his small town. Elwood is polite and cheerful and always friendly toward any strangers he might encounter but with just one problematic character trait, his best friend is a six-foot-tall invisible rabbit named Harvey who goes everywhere that Elwood goes. To avoid embarrassment to the family his sister (Veta) & her daughter try to have Elwood committed to the local sanitarium. Problems arise however, when Veta is mistakenly assumed to be on the verge of lunacy when she herself explains to doctors that years of living with Elwood’s hallucination has caused her to see Harvey as well. The truth comes out, and the comical search for Elwood and Harvey begins. Throughout this search for the reality of “Harvey”, the staff of the sanitarium raises the question: Who is more dangerous to society, the easy-going dreamer with a vivid imagination or the people who want him to conform to the Accepted version of reality?

 

This play was produced at a time when the Second World War had the nations attention. Popular entertainment served as a distraction from the terrors of war. Today, at a time when this country is at the crossroads of hopeful change, while still at war, we can certainly see where the search for reality finds it way into each of our lives.

THE CAST

Myrtle Mae Simmons - Elizabeth Hornsby

Veta Simmons - Kay Thomas

Elwood P. Dowd - Wayne Roshaven

Miss Johnson - Denise Haggard

Ethel Chauvenet - Anne Record

Nurse Kelly - Denver Clark

Duane Wilson - Charlie Poss

Dr. Sanderson - Jason Boskey

Dr. Chumley - Bill Canady

Betty Chumley - Dura Montgomery

Judge Gaffney - Alex Nawrocki

E.J. Lofgren - Chris Gibson

the crew

Director - Norma Bean

Production Manager - Tina Maslankowski

Stage Manager - Kelly Hornsby

Technical Operator - Justin Hornsby

Light & Sound Design - Lee Maslankowski, Justin Hornsby

Box Office - Elizabeth Hunt

Costumes - Norma Bean, Kelly Hornsby, Cast

Props - Kelly Hornsby, Pat Baker, Tina Maslankowski

Set Design - .Norma Bean, Joe Webb, Steve Martin

Playbil - Jacquelyn Smith, Steffen Smith, Joe Webb

Cover/Poster Art & Design - .Steve Martin

Set Construction - .Joe Webb, Boo Bryant, Patrick Hogan, Gene Ivey,
Bill Jefferson, Bob Jennus, Bill Marsh,
Frank Moore, Charlie Poss, Ed Ratcliffe

Set Painting - .Susie Monteleone, Betty Ratcliffe,
Lee Maslankowski, Tina Maslankowski

Fundraising - Gene Ivey, Joe Web

special thanks

Special thanks to all of our volunteers who have so generously shared their time and talents,
and to Mantles of Yesteryear (McCaysville, Ga.), Dan & Dixie Fitzgerald, Pat & Don Baker,
Mantles of Yesteryear (McCaysville, Ga.), Peacock Playhouse, Joe & Patricia Webb, and Alex
Nawrocki (music).

harvey

by Mary Chase

may 8 - 31