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The current show at 2nd Story Theater this summer
is "Harvey", the 1945 Pulitzer Prize winning play about Elwood P.
Dowd (Jimmy Stewart in the 1950 movie) who has been driving his sister and
niece crazy by introducing everyone he meets to his best friend, Harvey, a
six and 1/2 foot tall Pooka who can only be seen by Elwood.(A
pooka is a mythical Celtic being, a mischievous fairy that takes the form
of an animal and it can talk. It enjoys confusing humans but is
considered to be benevolent.) Veta, his sister decides to have
him committed to a sanitarium to spare her daughter, Myrtle Mae and
their family from further embarrassment. Problems arise when
Veta explains to the doctors after living with Elwood's
hallucination,it has caused her to see Harvey as well. "Harvey" opened on
Broadway in 1944 and ran for four and a half years at the 48th Street
Theatre. It played for 1,755 performances, making it one of the longest
running shows in Broadway history. Director Ed Shea captures the magical
quality needed for this show with his talented cast. He weaves a spell
that entrances the audience all night long with laughter and
merriment.
Ed blocks this show very well using the theatre beautifully and
keeping his cast in constant motion at a running time of 100 minutes and
making it into a two act show. He supplies his cast with many comical
moments and physical humor ( Sanderson and Kelly have a funny scene where
he falls to the floor after Veta escapes and Kelly falls to her knees
in horror. They also have a hilarious kissing scene.) Ed keeps the
show set in the spring of 1944 with the set by Trevor
Elliot and costumes by Ron Cesario reflecting this. The set
is the same playing area, the Dowd mansion and the reception room of
Chumley's rest, marked by four doorways and a center playing area with a
carpet in the middle. The Operation manager Max
Ponticelli keeps things moving smoothly all night long. Wayne
Kneeland plays Elwood excellently especially in his huge monologue.
He endears himself to the audience, capturing their hearts and gives a
winning portrayal of the character. Wayne is very funny as the laid back,
tippler with his invisible rabbit and obtains many laughs with his antics
especially when he gives out his business cards. Sharon Charpentier
who I last reviewed in "Night Must Fall" for The Players in
2005, is Veta Louise Simmons, the ultimate society matron who is very
offended by her seemingly crazy brother until she realizes Harvey is her
friend, too. She delivers a comic performance while doing
so.
The rest of this 12 member cast include Erin Olson as Veta's
bratty and spoiled daughter, Myrtle Mae who is anxious to get rid of her
uncle so she can win a beau. She handles this petulant role with
ease. Erin played Mrs. Keller last year in "The Miracle Worker" and
will be playing Isabelle Grossman in "Crossing Delancey" at the Newport
Playhouse in October. (Erin always does a topnotch job having reviewed her
in numerous shows at URI) Tom O'Donnell plays the
pompous Doctor Chumley who wants Harvey for himself and gets his
comeuppance from Elwood and Harvey while Joan Dillenback is
endearing as his wife, Betty while Stephen Palmer is the blustery
Judge Gaffney. (I haven't seen Stephen since we were in "A Clockwork
Orange" back in 1988.) Jay Bragan and Rae Mancini play Dr. Sanderson
and Nurse Kelly, the love interest in the show, handling their hate/love
relationship beautifully, stealing many a scene with their physical humor.
The biggest scene stealer is Ben Gracia as Duane
Wilson, Chumley's attendant who captures runaway patients and puts them
into the hydro tub. He has some of the funniest lines in the show,
garnering him many laughs. (Ben also handles dramatic roles, having
reviewed him as Shylock in "Merchant of Venice" at URI) Joan
Batting garners many laughs as Aunt Ethel who is horrified by
Elwood's strange behavior while Vince Petronio plays the cab driver, EJ
Lofgren who opens Veta's eyes about making Elwood a normal person again
because normal people can be sons of bitches. ( I have been involved
with "Harvey", three times as director in 1987, as Dr. Chumley in 1995 and
as Duane Wilson in 2003.) So for a trip back to the 1940's and a visit
with an invisible rabbit, be sure to catch "Harvey" at 2nd Story Theater
before Harvey hops out of town.
HARVEY ( 12 August to 6 September,
2009)
2nd Story Theater, 28 Market Street,
Warren, RI
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