Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 |
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Six foot invisible rabbit comes to Newnan Community Theatre By MICHAEL
BOYLAN Have you ever seen a six foot white rabbit? Probably not. In fact, most people haven't, but Elwood Dowd has. His rabbit friend is named Harvey and he is also a Pooka, which is a creature from Celtic myth that is only visible to rumpots and crackpots, which is kind of what Dowd is. If you would like to meet Dowd and have a chance to see Harvey, visit Newnan Community Theatre and see their production of "Harvey." The plot of "Harvey" focuses on Dowd's sister Veta and her daughter Myrtle Mae who are tired of Dowd and Harvey embarrassing them. They try to get Dowd committed to Chumley's Rest, a sanitarium, but when Veta gets committed instead it is up to Dowd and his pal Harvey to set things straight. This production is directed by Laurel Alford and features three sets of families in the cast. Allison Chambers plays Nurse Kelly while her mother Jean Hewell Chambers plays the role of Betty; Andy Bond plays the role of Wilson while daughter Emily Bond plays the role of the maid and the father and son team of Jim and Doug Brett play Doctors Chumley and Sanderson respectively. Mark Hager plays Elwood P. Dowd while Jennifer Doreel portrays his sister, Veta. Other members of the cast include Caitlin Bruggeman as Myrtle May, Matthew Bailey Jr. as Judge Gafney, Bert Lyons as cabdriver and Sharan Mansfield as Mrs. Chauvenet. "The charm of the story stems from the fact that we all have these people in our lives...and wish we had someone like Elwood," said Alford. "Someone sweet and kind, so what if he's crazy? Or is he the only one sane?" Alford also states that the staging of the show is a challenge. The play takes place in two locations: a house and a sanitarium and the play switches between them several times. "The set changes are another part of the evening's entertainment," added Alford. Another feature of the play is a portrait of Elwood and Harvey which hangs over the fireplace. The portrait in this production was painted by Newnan artist Marje Groth. She was afraid at first that the sitting would be difficult what with Harvey being invisible and all, but actually she had no problem seeing him whatsoever. "Harvey was a perfect gentlemen," said Groth. "Time just seemed to stand still while I painted him." "Harvey" was written by Mary Chase and won the Pulitzer Prize. It opened on Broadway in 1944 and ran for 1,755 performances. It was also a famous film starring James Stewart and Josephine Hull. Both were nominated for Academy Awards. Hull won for Best Supporting Actress while Stewart lost the Best Actor Oscar to Jose Ferrer. "Harvey" will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Newnan Community Theatre May 23-June 7. Tickets are $8 for adults and $10 for adults. Phone 770-683-6282, visit www.newnantheate.com or e-mail to nctc@numail.org for more information.
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