Director’s Note
I love that the world can come full circle. Harvey was the first play I ever performed in High School. As a sophomore in the Palace Playhouse Acting Troupe I was welcomed into the world of the theatre and the world of Harvey. I was struck by the generosity of the characters and the actors who portrayed them. As a result, this play has always meant something special to me. I wanted to do it years ago, but it wasn’t right. So I waited until the perfect group of kids rolled around. I love how they, even though the path here was just as hard as the comedy itself, embraced the story of this family. I love its message of families – can you see a theme in my shows? – and how sacrificing for them is the most rewarding thing. I love its light humor and lovable cast of interesting characters.
Mary Chase wrote this piece as a brief escape from the devastation and suffering of World War II, where families were torn apart and sons never came home. She just wanted to see people laugh again. And one early morning, she saw a vision of a psychiatrist walking across her bedroom floor, pursued by a large white rabbit. And in that moment, Harvey was created. Using folklore from her family’s hometown and weaving it into her time and world of 1944, Chase wrote this beautiful, yet fun story; later winning her a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. She quoted her mother as saying, “Never be unkind or indifferent to a person others say is crazy. Often they have deep wisdom. We pay them great respect in the old country, and we call them fairy people, and it could be they are sometimes.”
In the recent Broadway production, the study guide highlights the beauty of the story, rightfully calling it “a beautiful and charming comedy, celebrating timeless ideas of friendships, beliefs, and morals. Exploring what it means to be a friend, how people live their lives, and how we interact are some of the most common of human thoughts and desires. Further, the magical element turns this story into a modern-day fairy tale. Believing in what we cannot see or understand, and having that help us to see the good in the world is the basis behind so many philosophies and religions in the world—and that is what Elwood learns from Harvey. An invisible, six-foot-tall rabbit, Harvey represents a belief in good, letting your life happen on its own course, staying true to your beliefs, and ultimately being a happy, kind, and honest person. What could be more human than that?”
I owe my sanity to the wonderful friends and family in my life. I really am blessed. A very special thank you to my students for their hard work and for allowing imagination to exist and thrive. Thank you for allowing yourselves to accept and embrace these characters and this program. And thank you for letting me tell this story that made me believe in the power and magic of the theatre.
