Unless you are a baby boomer you probably won’t know about an invisible rabbit named Harvey. Nor about Elwood P. Dowd who has this invisible rabbit as his friend. Nor that Elwood embarrasses his sister Veta by introducing everyone to him at her society affair. Nor that Veta tries to get her brother put into an institution but gets sent there herself. And that’s just the beginning of Mary Chase’s comedy, Harvey, which is being performed by French Stewart and his wife Vanessa Stewart at the Laguna Playhouse beginning this week.
Harvey was first performed on Broadway opening in November 1944 and running for 1,775 performances. Frank Fay and Josephine Hull originated the parts of brother and sister. In 1970 the play was revived with James Stewart and Helen Hayes.
Before and after those two stage productions were both a film version and a television version of Harvey. The filmed versions played mix-and-match with the theatre productions.
In 1950, Stewart played the part in the film version directed by Henry Koster. Hull joined him in the film adaptation. In a 1972 NBC tv-movie, Stewart was reunited with Helen Hayes.
In 1996, CBS aired a new version with Harry Anderson and Swoosie Kurtz in the roles.
Which is all to say that Elwood and his fictional rabbit friend Harvey have been embraced for generations.
The Laguna Playhouse production is directed by Andrew Barnicle. French and Vanessa Stewart are often found on stage acting together. This production of Harvey should fine them in top form here. Just ask my little rabbit friend.
Harvey has a runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes.
For tickets go here.
Photo: French Stewart, Lily Gibson, Vanessa Claire Stewart and Carole Ita White in Harvey. Photo by Ed Krieger