Tucked away in a corner of the Pleasant Grove City Library is a charming little theater where the PG Players perform heartfelt stories for delighted audiences, and the latest play is Mary Chase’s 1940s comedy classic, Harvey. The play’s titular character is a six-foot rabbit that is only seen by the main character, Elwood P. Dowd. Elwood’s affection for the invisible but gentlemanly hare leads him to try and introduce his friend to all the new people he meets—much to the chagrin of his sister, Veta Louise Simmons, and her daughter, Myrtle Mae. Determined to be rid of Harvey, Veta tries to commit Dennis into Chumley’s Rest, the local sanitarium—with disastrous results. What started out as a simple plan to clean house and hopefully improve Myrtle Mae’s marriage prospects ends with a crucial misdiagnosis, a hospital break, an unexpected love interest, and a city-wide rabbit hunt. And some characters start to realize that maybe there’s more magic than mental illness afoot.
In his record 50th show with the PG Players, Dennis Purdie presents the completely guileless Elwood P. Dowd. He matches the mannerisms of the famous Jimmy Stewart movie version but adds a sweet, almost fatherly air of care and attention. Stately, silly, and long-suffering, Luone Ingram’s Veta Louise is a triumph. Ingram captures the character’s conflict of balancing what’s best for her daughter with what’s right for her brother while worrying about her own well-being—and sanity. Rebekah Olson’s Myrtle Mae is vain and a little voyeuristic, and she performs the comedic character wonderfully well—pouts and all. The mother-daughter pair are well-matched and always rise to the full comedy of the situations. Ruth Kelly, the charming RN, is played by the equally charming Brenna Brown, whose attempts to woo the wiley Lyman Sanderson (Gregory Rampton) form a strong comedic subplot. Rampton’s smooth Sanderson is fun to watch as well. The sanitarium’s off-putting orderly is played by Ian Pollock, whose disorderly conduct adds interest, at least for Olson’s flirty Myrtle May—the two get on like a house on fire, and it’s just possible that one of them set it. The venerable doctor William Chumley is played by Rob Holcombe, who brings the pretentious but greedy guy to life, especially with his harried Harvey obsession in the final act. The cast works together well, thanks in part to the efforts of their dual directors Howard and Kathryn Little.
The set (designed by Tina Fontana) is split between a dainty and charming living room and a clean and clinical sanitarium reception room, carefully crafted to make the most of the available space while grounding the action between the two pivotal locations. Brodie Ripple’s costumes give a nod to the time period but say more about the personalities in the individual characters, with bright and fashionable dresses on the materialistic Myrtle Mae, muted lace and full frills on the venerable Veta Louise, and a fine but friendly brown three-piece suit on Elwood.
Some comedy bits have aged differently, but overall the PG Players’ Harvey is a theatrical classic fitting for general audiences. So bring a friend—imaginary or otherwise—and come down to Pleasant Grove to see it today!
Pleasant Grove Players presents: Harvey by Mary Chase
30 E Center St, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
September 20, 2024 to October 14, 2024, 7:30 PM (Monday, Thursday–Saturday).
Tickets: $14 for students and seniors; $15 general admission PG Players Tickets
Contact: 801-613-0473
PG Players Facebook Page ; PG Players website Harvey Playbill
0 Comments