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by Krista Threadgill

An invisible, 6-foot tall white rabbit has invaded Dublin.  He’s a bit mischievous, but ultimately very affectionate to those he likes—and the Emerald City Players have been kind enough to introduce their audiences to him and the people in his life.

Mary Chase’s play, Harvey, relates the story of Elwood P. Dowd (Andy Crawford)—a man who has decided that it’s better to be pleasant than to be smart—his sister, Veta Simmons (Margaret Riggle Collins), and Veta’s daughter Myrtle Mae (Megan Pierce).  All the Simmons ladies want is to be able to enter polite society in their hometown, but Elwood’s peculiarities—namely his best friend, Harvey, an invisible rabbit—make it increasingly difficult.  In desperation, Veta decides to have Elwood committed to a sanitarium run by the notable Dr. Chumley (Dwight Shumway) and his assistant Dr. Sanderson (John Grote).  After an interview with Nurse Kelly (Kate Mock), Veta finds the situation flying completely out of control.  Soon, the keepers of the keys to the sanitarium start to question their own sanity.

Under the direction of Robert Weesner, the cast has a great time with this lively story, keeping the audience engaged and laughing until the end.  Collins’ balance of patience and exasperation with the absurdity of her situation strike just the right chord.  Pierce fluctuates from spoiled brat to wannabe seductress in the blink of an eye, never failing to entertain.  Shumway’s performance brings out a sense of pomposity followed by agitation with seamless precision.  Grote begins the first act a trifle stiff and unnatural, but he becomes more comfortable in Sanderson’s skin by the midpoint of the play.  The standout players in this production are Crawford and Mock:  Crawford is likeable and endearing in a role made famous by Jimmy Stewart; he emulates many of the same qualities while keeping the role his own creation.  Mock (playing dual roles in the housekeeper Miss Johnson as well as Nurse Kelly) stays bang on character and is a delight to watch.

The set design is a curious choice:  for the two distinct settings of the play—namely the sanitarium front office and the sitting room in the Dowd house—ECP splits the stage front-to-back instead of left-to-right, using the entire width of the stage for each setting and implementing a raised platform for the sitting room area.  The one downside to this is that the lighting (designed by Rick Foster and Alex Foster) casts distracting shadows on the sanitarium office setting.  Judy Parker’s costume designs are nicely done for the period, though a hat that Pierce’s hat worn in the third act seems to be more of a distraction than an asset.

A morality tale at heart, Harvey reminding us all about the power of kindness.  This would be an excellent time to show kindness to Emerald City Players with your patronage at their latest production.

Emerald City Players production of Harvey shows September 17-19 at 8:00 p.m. at the Emerald City Theater, 6709 Dublin Center Road, Dublin, OH.  Tickets are $10-12 and are available either at the door 30 minutes before the show or online at their website www.emeraldcityplayers.com.  For more information about this show or upcoming productions, please visit their website or call the box office at (614) 470-1525.

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Krista Threadgill spent her childhood following her parents around the Actors Guild of Parkersburg. After that, she wiled away her summers at Jenny Wiley Amphitheater, and she has performed in two Neil Simon plays. She has an English degree from the Ohio State University.