HARVEY to Open Hampton Theatre Company's 30th Season, 10/23-11/9

"Harvey," the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic comedy by Mary Chase about the hilarious havoc wrought by a 6-foot tall rabbit who is visible to only a few, will be the first production of the Hampton Theatre Company's 30th anniversary season, running from October 23 to November 9 at the Quogue Community Hall.

The play, which ran for 1,775 performances on Broadway from 1944 to 1949 before being adapted for a movie of the same name in 1950, gave Jimmy Stewart one of his signature roles on stage and on the silver screen as Elwood P. Dowd, an affable if a bit eccentric fellow who is eager to introduce his invisible rabbit friend to everyone he sees.

The bulk of the action in the play revolves around Elwood's sister, Veta, and her efforts to have her brother committed lest he scare away potential suitors from her daughter, Myrtle Mae. When the staff of the local sanitarium is unclear about who is supposed to be committed, additional mistakes, lapses in judgment and shifting sympathies ratchet up the comedy of errors and confusion.

The role of Elwood P. Dodd will be played in Quogue by Matthew Conlon, last seen on the HTC stage in the title role of "The Foreigner" in the spring. Pamela Kern, a veteran of four HTC productions, plays Elwood's sister, Veta Louise Simmons, and a newcomer to the Quogue stage, Amanda Griemsmann, plays Veta's daughter, Myrtle Mae.

The staff at the local sanitarium, Chumley's Rest, is headed up by John Kern in the role of Dr. Chumley and HTC veteran Sebastian Marbury as Dr. Lyman Sanderson. Krista Kurtzberg, who also appeared in "The Foreigner," plays Nurse Kelly, and Russell Weisenbacher plays the orderly Duane Wilson.

John J. Steele, Jr., who appeared in the HTC production of "Deathtrap," plays Judge Omar Gaffney; Doug O'Connor, who worked with the HTC in "Hot L Baltimore," plays taxi driver E. J. Lofgren; and Catherine Maloney, who appeared in the HTC's "My Three Angels," plays Dr. Chumley's wife, Betty. The role of Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet is played by new Quogue resident Martha Kelly.

HTC Artistic Director Diana Marbury directs. Set design is by Sean Marbury; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.

Playwright Mary Chase wrote the screenplay for the movie version of "Harvey" as well as for another play of hers, "Bernadine," in 1952. In addition to plays and films, she wrote children's books, including Loretta Mason Potts, which also had fantastic characters. The author attributed her interest in fantasy to tales of Irish folklore told to her by an uncle who introduced her to Celtic pookas, or spirits in animal form. "Harvey" was her greatest success, with three television adaptations and countless revivals, including one in 1970 with Jimmy Stewart reprising his original role and Helen Hayes playing Veta.

"Harvey" runs at the Quogue Community Hall from October 23 through November 9, with shows on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 2:30. The Hampton Theatre Company will again be offering special dinner and theater packages in collaboration with the Southampton, Westhampton Beach, Hampton Bays and Quogue libraries. Information about the dinner and theater packages is available on the company website, www.hamptontheatre.org, or through the libraries.

To reserve show tickets, visit www.hamptontheatre.org, or call OvationTix at 1-866-811-4111.

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