Perry Players wants to introduce you to their friend ‘Harvey’

Make sure when you go to the next performance at the Perry Players Theatre, you get an extra ticket for your friend … One of the performers would like to introduce you to his best friend.

He’s perhaps the biggest (6 feet tall) star of the show, and the easiest part for director Bill Andrews to cast. He is Harvey, and the show is called … “Harvey.”

Starting on Friday with eight total shows over the next three weekends, Perry Players concludes the 2015-16 season with the story made famous on the silver screen with the help of James Stewart. “Harvey” tells the story of a family with a bit of dysfunction in it, only it’s hard for some people to tell where the dysfunction lies.

“It’s about Elwood P. Dowd (played by Stuart Appleton) and his pooka friend,” said Andrews about his latest directorial assignment. “He’s a mystical creature, and he’s only visible to people he chooses to be visible to. Elwood’s the one he’s made good friends with.”

Harvey is a white rabbit Elwood is always bringing to his sister Veta Simmons’ social gatherings. Veta is so distraught by her brother’s behavior (and what it could do to her standing in society) that she’s ready to have him committed.

The story, Andrews said, was originally written by Mary Chase and debuted on Broadway in 1944 with more than 1,700 performances. The movie premiered in 1950.

“If you were a child, you had an imaginary friend,” said Andrews. “This imaginary friend grew up with you. You always had at least one good friend in your life.

“His family is tired of living with the rabbit. It turns out it’s the sister who gets committed as she describes that she’s actually seen the rabbit.”

Cathy Hutto plays Veta, and Veta’s daughter Myrtle Mae is played by Rachael Campillo. At the sanitarium, there’s Ruth Kelly, RN (Brandi Voltz), orderly Duane Wilson (Keith Barnett) and Drs. Lyman Sanderson (Mark Strandburg) and William R. Chumley (David Voltz) plus Mrs. Chumley (Kellie Jenkins Wallace).

“We have some new people coming to the stage,” said Andrews, noting that Appleton and Hutto are ‘seasoned’ actors in Perry. “We have Bob Hubbard, 78, and this is his first time ever being on stage. We have a nice mixture, and I think that’s great. That’s what we go by. You don’t need experience in the theatre. We provide it.

“Everybody’s been very professional. Everybody’s brought their characters to life. I’m excited for everybody to see it. Everybody’s pitched in building the sets, painting the wall, figuring out what fixtures to bring in to make it look homey, or like a sanitarium.”

Andrews himself recently acted in “Oliver!,” “Mousetrap,” and “Fawlty Towers” and his last directing chore was “First Baptist of Ivy Gap.” But he wants to enjoy this show with the audience, and he believes the audience will do just that.

Hubbard didn’t show up to the “Harvey” audition to audition. He just showed up with someone who was trying out and got asked to read the part of Judge Gaffney. Next thing he knows, Andrews is offering him the role.

“Enjoying it immensely,” said Hubbard. “As an old salesman, talking to people is not a big problem. Translating someone else’s words and doing it correctly so (someone) can understand what’s going on is a task.

“I saw Jimmy Stewart in (the movie). Always thought it was a fascinating movie. The play’s better.”

Hubbard lived in Atlanta a long time before moving to Perry in 1999, and he said his only other Perry Players association is as a spectator many times over.

“Never been tempted to audition for something,” said Hubbard. “I think terror would come closer to it than nerves (for opening night). Here I am, 78, doing something I have no idea what I’m doing in front of people, most of whom I know.”

Show times for Fridays and Saturdays are 7:30 p.m. with two Sunday matinees April 17 and 24 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.perryplayers.org.

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