CRESTVIEW — Pushing the Crestview High School drama program’s production of “Harvey” back to December has had several positive results.
First, it avoided the clash with the View From the Stage community theatre troupe’s production of “12 Angry Men” last weekend. A similar conflict last year drew audience members from each other’s fall shows.
Second, the Dec. 12-14 rescheduling also freed up several actors, who had scheduling conflicts with other co-curricular activities.
“We encourage students to get involved in as much as possible,” drama teacher and director Annette Gebhardt said. “But it did get in our way.”
And third, the new dates allowed student thespians to finally get off-book. As late as the week before the original Nov. 13 opening night, most cast members were still using their scripts.
“You’re using them as a crutch!” Gebhardt told the students during a “notes” session after their Nov. 10 rehearsal. “Get off-book!”
Her reprimand worked.
“Everybody’s pretty much off-book now,” Zac Sticha, who plays Judge Omar Gaffney, said Saturday morning.
AN EXTRA MONTH
The extra rehearsal time is paying off in other ways as students become more comfortable with their characters, and comfortable reacting with the title character, Harvey, a giant rabbit who’s omnipresent even if he is imaginary.
Junior Jacob Smith said "it was hard at first” performing opposite an invisible character that only his character, Elwood P. Dowd, can see. “But it’s also good, because I have a good imagination. It was hard, then you get used to it.”
Jacob, like fellow cast members, welcomes the bonus month of rehearsals.
“I feel like the extra time we have is going to improve our performance and will really get us working together,” he said. “I was really happy we got that time.”
“Harvey” will run 7 p.m. Dec. 12 and 13, and 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at CHS's Pearl Tyner Auditorium. Tickets are $5.
WHO’S WHO IN ‘HARVEY’
Myrtle Mae Simmons: Aislinn Suarez
Veta Louise Simmons: Jill Cumbia
Elwood P. Dowd: Jacob Smith
Maid: Michaela Pawlak
Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet: Emily Jacobson
Ruth Kelly: Megan Keiffer
Duane Wilson: Trevor Vaughn
Lyman Sanderson, M.D.: Corey Delvalle
William R. Chumley, M.D.: Michael Brooks
Betty Chumley: Riley Williames
Judge Omar Gaffney: Zac Sticha
E.J. Lofgren: Ethan Mitchell
Email News Bulletin Arts Editor Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Rabbit test: CHS production of “Harvey” moved to December