Theatre Central presents comedy show ‘Harvey’ on March 10, 11 and 12
Vita (Zainab Saylawala) makes it home after having been mistakenly admitted to a psychiatrical hospital.
March 9, 2016
Ever wonder what would happen if an adult had an imaginary friend? Find out in Naperville Central’s spring play, “Harvey,” a comedy of errors by Mary Chase.
The play follows a pleasant man named Elwood P. Dowd who claims that his best friend is a white rabbit that is over 6 feet tall named Harvey. There’s a catch, though—no one else can see Harvey. When Elwood’s sister Veta Louise tries to commit him to a sanitarium, chaos and hilarity ensue.
Senior Miles Weimer, who plays Elwood in Central’s adaptation, reflects on his experience bringing the eccentric man to life.
“I absolutely loved being [Elwood],” Weimer said. “He was just such a fun character to play… I really admire James Stewart, who did a fantastic job [playing] Elwood in the film version, and really liked putting my own spin on [Elwood].”
Senior Matt Dodson, who plays Wilson the butler in the play, also enjoyed being in the play immensely.
“This is definitely my favorite play that we’ve done so far, partly because I have larger role than in the other [plays] I’ve been in,” Dodson said. “I play Wilson, the butler, who’s just a crotchety old guy… it’s been a great experience.”
Although “Harvey” seems on the surface to be simply a comedy about a crazy man who sees an oversized rabbit, Weimer believes that the play is much deeper than that.
“’Harvey’ is much more than meets the eye,” Weimer said. “I think everyone who comes to watch it should ask what the meaning of ‘Harvey‘ is and look for the underlying meaning. I think the meaning is friendship… and following your heart. It’s a pretty deep play, even though it might not seem like it.”
When asked for any last words on “Harvey,” and although they were asked in separate interviews, the first words out of both Weimer and Dodson’s mouths were:
“Come watch it!”
Fulfill their wishes by going to see “Harvey” in Central’s auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, and 8 p.m. on both Friday, March 11 and Saturday March 12.
