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WHAT do you say to a kindly and independently wealthy man who cheerfully admits that his best friend is an invisible 7-foot-1-inch white rabbit with supernatural powers? ‘Harvey’ still gets
crowd hoppingBy John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin
Some of us might respond with a heartfelt "You've got a cool friend, Dude!," but playwright Mary Chase had a different idea in mind when she told the story of a day in the life of Elwood P. Dowd and an invisible rabbit named Harvey.
ON STAGE
What "Harvey," presented by The Actors' Group
More than 50 years have passed since "Harvey" won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, but as staged by The Actors' Group, this gentle period piece still entertains.
Local theater veterans Sam Polson and Mary Frances Kabel-Gwin are the dynamos who drive the TAG production. Polson plays perfectly as the slightly bemused and always pleasant Elwood. Polson's work is of special note when seen in contrast to the nasty character he played in TAG's "Buried Child" last year.
"Harvey" is not staged as laugh fest -- even the laughs tend to be muted -- but Polson is charming and instantly likable.
Kabel-Gwin has the tougher role as Veta Louise, Elwood's widowed sister, who is using her brother's wealth to finance her social pretensions and advance the prospects of her socially inept daughter, Myrtle Mae (Ruthie Wells). Veta decides that Myrtle Mae's chances of landing a socially acceptable husband, will be enhanced exponentially if she could put Elwood in a mental hospital.
Veta and Myrtle Mae are unlikable even before Veta sets her plot in motion, but Kabel-Gwin, Wells and director Brad Powell, succeed in gradually giving the two women more depth rather than playing them simply as cardboard villains. A fine performance by Kabel-Gwin in particular makes this shift in perspective seem natural.
The rest of the cast falls in nicely around Polson and Kabel-Gwin in supporting roles. First and foremost are George Y. Russell (Dr. Sanderson) and Tricia Marciel (Nurse Kelly). TAG veteran Russell quickly establishes the young doctor as an insufferable and pompous jerk who is too full of himself to appreciate the loyal and long-suffering nurse.
The nurse is a comic foil in some scenes and a romantic figure in others. Marciel makes her TAG debut a memorable one by successfully developing each facet of the character. It's a winning performance.
The interplay between Kathleen Anderson (Betty Chumley) and Polson makes their big scene worth watching closely. Betty, the wife of the head psychiatrist, doesn't know she's talking to a "patient."
Patrick Casey (Dr. Chumley) also has a great scene with Polson when the unflappable but vulnerable psychiatrist shares a dream with his patient.
David Carstens plays belligerent psychiatric aide Duane Wilson as a study in rage personified. Acting student Todd Middleton (the cab driver) makes a solid debut with a believable performance in a small but key role. Mele Welte (Mrs. Chauvenet) and S. Rick Crump (Judge Gaffney) complete the cast.
Director Powell opts to keep the story in its original mid-'40s small-town America milieu, complete with references to costs of goods. As with some earlier TAG shows, the costumes and hair styling isn't particularly "period" but at TAG it's performance and story that make the show. As the story unfolds, it's easy to overlook some of the visual distractions of the production and enjoy the experience of getting to know Elwood P. Dowd and his invisible friend.
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