by David Hawkins

Following the theater department’s current production, “The BFG” on September 22nd-24th, they will be performing “Harvey.” “Harvey” is the story of Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary friend, Harvey. His “friend” is a six and a half foot rabbit that he has decided to introduce to guests at a party he attends. His sister, Veta, is tired of his eccentricity and commits him to a sanitarium. She hopes this spares Elwood’s daughter, Myrtle Mae, from future embarrassment. After hearing so much about her brother’s hallucinations, she begins to see Harvey as well.  People mistake her to be on the verge of lunacy, and she is committed instead of her brother. When the doctors realize their mistake, they begin searching for Elwood and his invisible companion.

If you would like to be a part of this play, there are six parts for females available and six parts for males available.

Six available parts for females:

• Ethel Chauvenet: This is an old friend of Elwood and Veta’s family. She is a member of the town’s social circle.
• Betty Chumley: She’s character that is more concerned with socializing than science. Her husband is Dr. William  B. Chumley.
• Nurse Ruth Kelley: She’s a young nurse who has a crush on the psychiatrist, Dr. Sanderson.
• Myrtle Mae Simmons: She lives with her widowed mother, Veta, in her Uncle Elwood’s home. She thinks that her uncle’s strange behavior is ruining her chances of meeting an eligible man.
• Veta Louise Simmons: She is Elwood’s sister who is becoming undone by her brother’s relationship with his invisible friend, Harvey. She has her brother committed to a sanitarium to prevent their family from being embarrassed anymore than they already are.
• “Cateress”/”Maid”: She works for the Simmons household.

For males here are the six available parts:

• Dr. William B. Chumley: He is a celebrated psychiatrist and the head of the sanitarium, Chumley’s Rest, where Elwood is taken. He also is a difficult man who is feared by his subordinates, unwilling to tolerate his mistakes.
• Elwood P. Dowd: He is  the central character of the play, being a friendly eccentric who spends his days and nights in the taverns of an unnamed town. He is best friends with the invisible rabbit that the play is named after, Harvey.
• Judge Omar Gaffney: He’s an old family-friend of the Dowd’s. He is a representative of the people in town who are accustomed to seeing Elwood talking to Harvey and who do not think anything of it.
• Dr. Lyman Sanderson: He’s a young, yet talented psychiatrist. He was chosen by Dr. Chumley out of twelve possible assistants. He indirectly shows his infatuation with Nurse Kelly.
• Wilson: Wilson is the devoted, orderly muscle of Chumley’s Rest who  is responsible for handling the patients who will not cooperate voluntarily.
• E.J. Lofgren: He is the cab driver who regularly takes patients to and from Chumley’s Rest and recognizes the negative results.

You can audition for this play on September 12th and 13th at 3:40 in B115 (Black Box). There will be call backs(if needed) on the 15th at 3:40. If you need more information, you can e-mail Mrs. Broome at broomepa@spart6.org.