[quote]By Sushmitha Suresh
Online Writer
Photos by Jack Heerhold
Web edit by The Mane (Conner Arnold)[/quote]
As an avid James Stewart fan, I was interested in seeing what the theatre department could bring to one of my all time favorite movies. To say that I was pleased with the production of “Harvey” is an understatement.
Walking into the auditorium, I was already dazzled with the set design. The amazing tech crew created an atmosphere that provided a 1950s vibe from the very beginning. The paved brick roads were accompanied by old fashioned street lamps in the classic painting of the town square. “Mr. Wolski had this vision to bring a broadway modeled set to our stage. Mr. Burkheart brought a ton of experience with him to Metea this year and made that vision a reality,” junior RJ Schlesinger, “Judge Omar Gaffney”, said.
The cast did a phenomenal job in making the audience sympathize for the main character, Elwood P. Dowd, played by junior Daniel Grumbine. In short, Dowd is seen to be clinically insane because he walks around with an imaginary white rabbit, who is six and a half feet tall. In the end, Dowd teaches us that if you have to choose between being smart and being pleasant, then being pleasant is your best bet. When you’re smart, you see things in one light. When you’re pleasant, you see things in so many different perspectives and all that matters is that you appreciate the little things that people have to offer. Though the audience knows that Dowd is insane, we appreciate him and all the love he brings into the lives of those he encounters.
The show featured a strong cast of actors and actresses that made you completely forget that they were the peers you walked down the hall with that morning. There was not one weak link to point out and the chemistry between all of them was very evident. “The production was fantastic as a whole, but the acting was what really stood out,” sophomore Prithvi Bandaru said. “The emotion each person put into their role helped bring the parts to life.”
I do not hesitate to say that this is the best fall production the department has put on thus far. Though the show is not completely relatable to a 21st century teenager, the show was meaningful and told a message that is still universal today: you are in control of your own happiness. Is it so bad that you bring a white rabbit along to achieve that? “It’s a classic,” Schlesinger said. “A lot of the humor and language is outdated, so for our cast to present this to an audience and get them to laugh was a very daunting task.” I can happily say that they pulled the 1950 screenplay off very nicely.
After watching “Harvey”, the expectations for future productions have definitely risen, and it’s only November.
You can see more photos in the full photo gallery of “Harvey” here.