Mason’s ‘Harvey Executed with Flair’

By Katie Bull, Herndon High School (October 22, 2001)

    What?  A 6-foot-tall rabbit?  What is this?  Did the Easter Bunny come to the mall, or something?  No, actually, this was George Mason High School's production of Harvey.  Harvey is the story of a lovable middle-aged man, Elwood P. Dowd, and his best friend, an invisible, 6-foot tall rabbit named, 
obviously, Harvey.  The play is very well written, and carries an extremely clever sense of humor.  The show is difficult to execute, as it mostly revolves around dialogue, and not movement.  This can make a show very dull, 
but George Mason executed it with flair.

    One of the standout performances of the evening had to be Matt Meyer, in the role of Elwood.  While he had a little trouble determining where Harvey was at some points, Meyer pulled off quite a challenging role as Elwood.  He charmed the characters in the play, and the audience for that matter, with his adorably clueless act.  When he was onstage, the show had a lot of energy, and he seemed to carry his fellow actors throughout the show. 

Another impressive performance was given by Dena Adriance (cq) as Veta Louise Simmons, Elwood's sister.  Adriance was a ball of energy, her movements and her facials were huge, which added to her eccentric character.  She did a fabulous job of portraying the neurotic sister who wants to commit Elwood, but seems like she needs to be committed herself!

    The technical elements of this show were simple, but professional.  The set, which was student built, was amazing, and very functional.  In addition to that, the grips, headed by Stefanie (cq) Johnston, did an excellent job of making set changes quickly and efficiently.  The portrayal of Harvey was also well done.  He was heard walking, and then opened a door, much to the audience's delight.  A nod should go to sound designer, Teddy Smith, for planning his entrance well.

    Harvey is a delightful, and challenging show.  While it was not without flaws, George Mason was very successful in performing this crowd-pleaser.