By Jennifer Mustoe
The Grand Theatre‘s Harvey is one of those shows that Front Row Reviewers can’t wait to see. That sounds so dramatic, maybe even soppy. Trust me, it is not. You see, I woke up this morning, eager to relive my experience meeting and then loving Harvey by sharing its story with you. For, Harvey is a 6-foot white rabbit. Though we can’t see him, Elwood P. Dowd (Roger Dunbar) helps us see and learn to cherish his very large, very invisible best friend.
Dunbar is so marvelously convincing in his portrayal of Elwood P. Dowd, I want to live next door to him. This actor never breaks character and completely enfolds us into his magical world that includes Harvey. Elwood is always smiling, always courtly, and there is nothing that brings him down. We get the feeling that this wasn’t always so, but when Harvey enters his life, Dowd becomes a new man. I so like the new man. Gently maneuvering such a large rabbit, always solicitous to his furry friend, Dunbar creates two characters: the man and the rabbit. I could “see” Harvey because so does Elwood. Harvey is real. Dunbar makes it so.
Elwood shares his fine mansion with his sister Veta Louise Simmons (Kristin Housley) and her daughter Myrtle May Simmons (Niki Rahimi) and therein lies the problem. Though Veta loves her brother, she hopes to maintain her status as a society matron and there’s just one sticky problem. That rabbit. How can she get Myrtle May married off when Elwood/Harvey are such an embarrassment? However, we soon see that Veta is a believer deep down, and her sweet heart collides with her more mercenary side. Housley embraces Veta and displays the panorama of this confused and confusing character. We see her desperation, her wanting to hope, wanting for homeostasis but also her desire to believe. Myrtle May’s character is almost the desperate part of her mother and nothing else. It’s understandable. She’s a young woman, hoping to marry (that’s what one did back then) and here she’s living with her uncle and his “friend.” Rahimi shows this embarrassment and almost ferocious anger very well. I admit, I didn’t like her much–Myrtle May, that is. And we’re not supposed to.
The Simmons women cook up a plan to put Elwood in a sanitorium, Chumley’s Rest, so they can sell the house and get out of town. A cast of characters at Chumley’s Rest span the panorama of the story itself, from the wise; the sharp and calculating; the oafish anger; the undervalued woman (an unfortunate standard that is far too prevalent even today); the beleaguered older man who has dreams of peace, and so on. What happens in the sanitorium is funny and all too stark and real, at least for me. Isn’t much of the comedy we see today also a shade of the harshness of our time? The sanitorium felt like that for me.
Duane Wilson (Robert A. Easton) is the creepy orderly, the muscle at Chumley’s Rest. Easton scared me, as he should have, as he raised his fist numerous times to “persuade” when needed. Angie Nicole as Ruth Kelly, R. N. is the coerced “pretty little lady” who is much maligned, asked to use her looks to induce and entice when necessary and Nicole brings a dignity and spunk to this role that I found satisfying. Lyman Sanderson, M.D. (Aron Cain)–well, we want to like him. Is he as despicable as he seems, in colluding to “give treatment” to people who may or may not need it, but certainly don’t want it? Is this his job or is he just a horrible person? These questions aren’t really answered, but I loved Cain giving us the opportunity to explore these contrasts in his character. Cain is an energetic actor, and fascinating to watch. I admit, I liked him. William R. Chumley, M.D. is a puzzle. I am choosing not to describe him, but simply say that Micky Goldstein is brilliant as the disillusioned doctor. We see his wife, Betty Chumley (Vicki Pugmire) briefly, and she helps us identify her husband’s character even more. Pugmire fills her small role with dignity and a fragility that is appealing and slightly mysterious. As the story unfolds, we see why she may be disillusioned herself.
The cast is rounded out with Jeffrey Owen as Judge Omar Gaffney. Because the Judge is a character that needs to be likeable but also rather reviled, Owen sells this wonderfully. He holds his small notebook where he is making his numerous notes, like a sword or a Bible, the defender and the bearer of truth. And yet, it looks so humble, that little notebook. A rather nice contradiction. Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet played by Jayne Luke is a scrappy, comical character that could easily be overlooked. But Luke throws Mrs. C into her moment very handily. I admit, I want to spend more time with this lady. William Manly as E.J. Lofgren (the taxi driver) and Teresa McLeod as Miss Johnson (the maid) take their small roles and expand them, adding yet another layer to a delightful story.
There is one theme that winds through Harvey that I must mention. That is alcohol. First, Elwood is always inviting people to go have a drink at his long list of available bars. As most of us know, bars aren’t just for drinking, and that activity often becomes almost non-existent. Bars are for gathering, becoming friends, being convivial. Bars are where Elwood takes those he loves and those he hopes to love, because it seems like he loves everyone. (There’s a lesson there–about loving everybody.) As we learn about Harvey, who apparently is not just a rabbit but is also clairvoyant, one wonders if he’s a figment of an alcohol-riddled imagination. Harvey, in fact, is said to be a pooka*. It is a mystery here, and a delicious one. Certainly, Elwood sees Harvey all the time, not aided by alcohol. But did Harvey appear when Elwood was moving from the former unhappy man to the new beatifically recharged and changed fellow by way of alcohol? At least at the beginning? I have my own beliefs about this and Harvey’s “birth” has nothing to do with anything more than Elwood’s need to change. He says, “For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.” It is his transformational treatise.
The Grand Theatre is a beautiful, even magnificent space and the perfect setting for Harvey. The set on the stage, created by Halee Rasmussen, is a wonder to behold. It is lovely, yet not ostentatious. The detail in the design and the clever way we are transported from the grand manor to the sanitorium makes scene changes perfect. Costumes by Shannon McCullock are spectacular. I especially loved Elwood’s wonderful outfit. As my friend who accompanied me said, “It really is genuine couture for that time period.” But Veta’s dress! And her coat! And her hat! Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet’s whole ensemble! Color, lines, presentation. I kept thinking, “Well, I’d wear that and that and that.” (I like fun clothes.) Lighting by Drew Bielinski is frankly magical. Yes, this is a stage play. But the lighting grounds us when needed, but takes us elsewhere with a deftness that one needs to focus on to really notice it. All is so filmy and firm. Lovely.
Director Mark Fossen has created a beautiful piece and a beautiful peace for us after our seemingly unending and remarkably difficult winter that brings delight and solace for our hearts and souls. Of course, the character development is spot on. But Fossen has infused physical comedy (which I love) as often as possible. And though I don’t know what magic he used, it’s almost as if the entire show stayed firmly on the stage, but also among the clouds. It’s very tangible, this show. But it is also otherworldly.
Elwood P. Dowd is a wonderful man, one I’d wish to call a friend. Is his 6-foot white rabbit friend an encumbrance? An annoyance? An embarrassment? Certainly not. Elwood and Harvey are the perfect pair to bring light and sweetness and hope to this world. I think I want a Harvey. I hope I can find a Harvey in my life. Come and see Harvey at the Grand Theatre. Find the magic of Harvey in you.
Harvey is family-friendly and can be enjoyed by tweens and older who love theater.
The Grand Theatre presents Harvey, by Mary Chase, reviewed by Front Row Reviewers.
The Grand Theatre, 1575 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
March 29-April 15, 2023, Thursday – Saturday 7:30 PM, Saturday matinee 2:00 PM
Tickets: $30
Contact: 801-957-3322, grandtheatre@slcc.edu
The Grand Theatre Facebook Page
*According to Irish Mythology, according to Atlas Obsura: The púca (from the Irish* for “ghost”) is a shapeshifting trickster spirit of Celtic folklore that usually takes the form of a domestic animal, or a human with telltale animal features, such as large ears, fur, or a tail.
Everything above is true! – Go see this light, but moving, entertainment.