Addison Trail to present fall play, ‘Harvey’

(From left) Addison Trail junior Jack DiDomenic (Dr. William B. Chumley), senior Megan Sowa (Co-Stage Manager), senior Lea Staller (Veta Louise) and sophomore Nathan Redmann (Elwood P. Dowd) rehearse a scene from Addison Trail's fall play, “Harvey” by Mary Chase. Performances will take place on Oct. 13, 14 and 15.

Accepting others for who they are and embracing the unique qualities of each individual is an important – and sometimes challenging – aspect of being human and a crucial lesson we all must learn.

That message is at the core of Addison Trail’s fall play, “Harvey” by Mary Chase, which will take place on Oct. 13, 14 and 15. According to https://stageagent.com, “Harvey” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy that tells the story “of a perfect gentleman, Elwood P. Dowd (played by Addison Trail sophomore Nathan Redmann), and his best friend, Harvey – a pooka, who is a six-foot tall, invisible rabbit. When Elwood begins introducing Harvey around town, his embarrassed sister, Veta Louise (played by Addison Trail senior Lea Staller), and her daughter, Myrtle Mae (played by Addison Trail freshman Lilia Zielinski), determine to commit Elwood to a sanitarium. A mistake is made, however, and Veta is committed rather than Elwood! Eventually, the mistake is realized, and a frantic search begins for Elwood and the invisible pooka, which ends with Elwood appearing, voluntarily, at the sanitarium. In the end, however, Veta realizes that she loves her brother and his invisible best friend just as they are and doesn’t want either of them to change.”

Redmann and Staller, along with Addison Trail junior Jack DiDomenic (who plays Dr. William B. Chumley) and senior Megan Sowa (Co-Stage Manager), said they hope audience members leave with an appreciation for family and the need for patience with loved ones. They added the play is comprised of a small cast and crew, which has allowed life to imitate art, as they have become a very close-knit group.

Addison Trail Theatre Tech Assistant Alex Holod, who will make his directorial debut with “Harvey,” said the play has a universal theme, to which nearly everyone can relate.

“We all have had a friendship or a relationship that has been questioned or misunderstood by others, and ‘Harvey’ focuses on the importance of compassion,” Holod said. “What I enjoy about this play is it demonstrates the bond between people is what’s most valuable. We never really know whether Harvey is real or not – that’s up to each audience member to interpret. But the message of the story is it doesn’t matter whether Harvey is real. He is real to Elwood, and respecting that relationship and accepting Elwood for being himself is what matters.”

Addison Trail fall play, “Harvey”
When: 7 p.m. on Oct. 13, 14 and 15 (also a 2 p.m. performance on Oct. 15)

Where: Addison Trail High School, 213 N. Lombard Road in Addison (in the auditorium)

Cost: Tickets will be available to buy at the door and cost $7 for adults; $5 for students and children ages 3 to 12; and are free with a District 88 student ID and a District 88 Senior Gold Card.

For questions or more information: Call 630-628-3365