Proscenium Players, Inc., and the Brewery Arts Center are holding auditions for roles in their upcoming production of “Harvey,” the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Mary Chase.
Auditions are at 6:45 p.m. Dec. 9 in the Maizie Harris Jesse Black Box Theater at the Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St.; and 10:30 a.m. Dec. 12 in the Brewery Arts Center’s Performance Hall, 511 W. King St.
Auditions will be cold readings of parts of the script. Sides will be available 15 minutes prior to auditions.
The cast includes six males, ranging in age from late teens to 50 and older; and six females, ranging in age from late teens to 60 and older. Although acting experience is not required and anyone can audition, auditioners are asked to bring a theater experience biography if they have one.
Performances will be April 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, and May 1. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m. Sunday shows are 2 p.m. matinees. Performances will be in the Black Box Theater.
“Harvey” follows the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a middle-aged man whose favorite pastime is drinking in bars with his best friend, a six-plus-foot-tall invisible rabbit named Harvey. Elwood explains Harvey is a “pooka,” a kindly but mischievous creature from Celtic mythology who carefully chooses those he befriends. Elwood’s sister, Veta Louise, and niece Myrtle Mae conspire to have him committed to the local sanitarium. In a series of comic misunderstandings, Veta Louise is the one who ends up committed, while Elwood wins the admiration of the staff. James Stewart was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Elwood Dowd, and Josephine Hull won an Oscar as best supporting actress for her portrayal of Veta Louise.
Characters include:
Ethel Chauvenet — 60 or older, an old friend of the family
Betty Chumley (the doctor’s wife) — 50 or older, more concerned with socializing than with science
Dr. William B. Chumley — 50 or older, esteemed psychiatrist, head of the sanitarium “Chumley’s Rest”
Elwood P. Dowd — 40 or older, the central character of the play
Judge Omar Gaffney — 50 or older, an old friend of the family
Nurse Ruth Kelly — late teens to 30 or older, has a love/hate relationship with Dr. Sanderson.
Dr. Lyman Sanderson — late 20s to 30 or older, infatuated with Nurse Kelly
Myrtle — late teens to 30, daughter of Veta, seeks a husband
Veta Louise Simmons — 40 or older, Elwood’s sister, wants Elwood committed to a sanitarium
Wilson — late teens to 30s, devoted orderly of Chumley’s Rest
E. J. Lofgren — any age, cab driver who takes patients to and from Chumley’s Rest
Miss Johnson — any age, only appears briefly in the first act
Rehearsals will be at the Brewery Arts Center beginning in January, with an initial read through sometime before Christmas. Rehearsals will be held Mondays and Wednesdays, depending on cast availability, and may extend to three nights a week closer to the performance dates. Not all cast will need to be at all rehearsals, but cast should be available on days they are needed. All cast members must be available for all rehearsals on and after April 11.
For more information, email PPI.Harvey@att.net.