After months of vigorous rehearsal, the Drama club will be presenting a production of “Harvey” on Dec. 11 and 12 at the Newtown campus.
The Drama club was interviewed back in late September about their green-lighted production of “Harvey.” Most notably remembered for the 1950’s adaptation starring James “Jimmy” Stewart, “Harvey” is a quirky comedy about a wealthy bachelor, Elwood P. Dowd, living at his home with his sister Veta Louise Simmons and his niece, Myrtle Mae.
Despite his generous, loving and carefree nature, when Elwood begins having visions of a six foot talking rabbit named Harvey, both Veta and her daughter quickly begin to lose their patience, opting to have Elwood committed. As the story progresses, the question soon becomes who the real “crazies” are – and what should be considered “normal?”
On stage portraying lead character Elwood P. Dowd is communications major, Tim Salvador, 21, of Doylestown. Tim, starring in his first stage performance, grasps the friendly, mild-mannered nature of Elwood P. perfectly; making for a very convincing character. Salvador states, “I loved working on this production. it’s been a ton of fun and I’ve even surprised myself with the progress I’ve made in my acting ability.”
Supporting actress and communications major Sarah Zwodniak, 18, of Morrisville, portrays Elwood’s lighthearted and flirtatious niece, Myrtle Mae Simmons. Sarah does a lovely job on stage, and is sure to fill the auditorium with laughter from the audience, as she is easily one of the funniest characters in the play.
Additional actors and actresses include music major and Drama club vice-president Harris Moriarty, 19, of Reading, portraying psychiatrist Dr. Lionel Sanderson. Music major and club secretary Jazmin Pachas, 18, of Warminster, will portray Mrs. Hazel Chumley. Engineering major Christian Harris, 21, of Fairless Hills, portraying head Doctor, Dr. Chumley and Tyler Voelker, 19, Cinema/Video production major of Warminster, portraying Dr. Chumley’s trusted orderly, Wilson.
Voelker states, “Being involved in this production has really helped broaden my horizons as not only an actor, but also as a person. I’ve met some amazing people through this play and made memories that I will never forget. As far as my character, Wilson, is concerned, he is a very big and strong man with a ‘no nonsense’ attitude. I hope that my portrayal of this character is as good as was intended to be by [writer] Mary Chase.”
The performance was directed by Drama club president Abby Riley, 19, liberal arts major from Newtown. Abby took on an ambitious task, having never directed a stage performance prior to “Harvey.” Her thorough organization and attention to detail has helped this performance to come together perfectly.
Riley states, “I’m really excited for ‘Harvey’ and I have so much faith in all of my actors. They’ve worked really hard, were flexible and communicated well with any struggle that came our way. I’ve always been passionate about acting, but directing gave me a new perspective and respect for directors.”
“Harvey” premieres at Bucks on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Admission is $7 for seniors and students if they bring their ID’s. Regular ticket pricing is $10.