Harvey is a giant rabbit which nobody can see except Elwood P. Dowd. Harvey becomes Elwood’s best friend. Harvey — a pooka (a mythical being)– is a six-foot tall, invisible rabbit, and when Elwood begins introducing Harvey around town, his embarrassed sister, Veta Louise, and her daughter, Myrtle Mae, determine to commit Elwood to a sanitarium. A mistake is made, however, and Veta is committed rather than Elwood! Eventually, the mistake is realized, and a frantic search begins for Elwood and the invisible pooka, which ends with Elwood appearing, voluntarily, at the sanitarium. In the end, however, Veta realizes that she loves her brother and his invisible his best friend just as they are, and doesn’t want either of them to change.
American playwright Mary Chase produced “Harvey” in 1944 and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work in 1945. It has been adapted for film and television several times, most notably in a 1950 film starring James Stewart. “The play is a comedy but the story carries a moral, about of the importance of acceptance….of yourself as well as others” according to Main Street Theater’s director David Woody. The play will have a six-performance run in downtown Sulphur Springs at 225 Main Street….Friday March 15 and Saturday March 16 at 7pm, and Sunday March 17 at 2pm, with the schedule repeated the following weekend, March 22-24. Tickets are $10 person. Reservations are encouraged. Phone the box office at 903-885-0107 or purchase online at www.communityplayersinc.com.
According to Woody, a 30-year veteran of the local theater, a teen cast member Jaden McGraw plays the lead role, Cindy Braddy is making her debut appearance onstage, and Mike Coursley of the Greenville/Rockwall theater is also in the 10-member cast. The 2019 season is an exciting one, with “The Odd Couple, Female Version” coming up in May, a summer musical with the title to be announced, and a version of “Greater Tuna” in August. A stage adaptation of the fantasy movie “Never Ending Story” is planned this Fall, and ‘A Christmas Carol” for the holiday season. The Community Players non-profit organization always welcomes new talent both onstage and behind the scenes, and members of the cultural organization are also needed. You can become a member, a patron or serve in other positions of support for the year-round theater group. The Sulphur Springs Community Players has been providing live community theater for 40 years, and has seen a number of former players rise to recognition in stage, film, television and other performance careers.
