NHS Drama To Present ‘Harvey’ This Weekend

By Eliza Hallabeck

Newtown High School cast and crew members of this week’s production of Harvey were busy preparing afterschool on Friday, November 9, during one of the many rehearsals held for the play.

Student Co-Directors Sean Watkins and Josh Goldman promised a hilarious family-friendly show.

“Harvey is a show about a man that sees an invisible rabbit,” said Josh. “And in the show his sister takes him to a sanitarium, but when they get to the sanitarium there is a mix up with who went there to commit and who is being committed. And hilarity ensues.”

Harvey is set to run from Thursday, November 15, to Sunday, November 18. Showings for November 15 to November 17 are at 7:30 pm, and the November 18 showing is at 2 pm.

Tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets for adults are $12, student tickets are $10, and NHS faculty tickets are $8, with identification.

Cast members of Harvey are Joey DeVellis as Elwood P. Dowd, Alison Kron as Veta Simmons, Emily Crebbin as Myrtle Mae Simmons, Thomas Primavera as Dr Lyman Sanderson, Melanie Curtis as Nurse Ruth Kelly, John Mudgett as Dr William Chumley, Aidan Petershack as Duane Wilson, Nick Madden as Judge Omar Gaffney, Kirsten Liniger as Ethel Chauvenet, Sami Chanko as Betty Chumley, and Kyle Watkins as EJ Lofgren.

The stage manager for the production is Mitchell Girgasky, the artistic supervisor is Lindsay Fuori,; Eric Greto is lighting operator, and Kevin Liniger the sound head. Construction heads are Britt Pearson, Nick Shannon, and Colby Chilson; and costumes and props are overseen by Emma Sullivan and Kylie Gallagher.

Members of the construction and painting crew are Madi Aug, Kenna Bassett, Michael Biancardi, Abby Callery, Stefanie Carr, Colby Chilson, Caroline Cole, Emma d’Avola, Neil Davis, Matt DiCristina, Julia Dobbrow, Lindsay Fuori, Caitlin Gibney, Mitchell Girgasky, Maggie Gorman, Eric Greto, Stephanie Haas, Erin Hartgraves, Justin Kaiser, Caitlin Keane, David Kent, Brittany Kowalski, Kevin Liniger, Timothy Mammen, Brittany Meisenheimer, Nancy Michaud, Allison Morrill, Brooke Newton, Ellie Nikitchyuk, Mackenzie Page, Britt Pearson, Aidan Petershack, Chelsea Piccirillo, Lauren Russo, Marisa Russo, Megan Schumacher, Nicholas Shannon, Jenna Siroky, Sam Svensson, Anaëlle Vergonjeanne, and Katie Wolff.

“It’s been going really well,” said Sean on Friday. “We lost the week because of the hurricane, but even with that missing week everything is going well this week. We’re back on track.”

Sean also said the cast is doing a great job with the production.

“It’s loud, it’s funny, action packed, [and] energetic,” said Sean. “It’s very accessible for the family. Little kids can find humor in it. It’s just something that people can walk away from feeling happy.”

Video highlights from Friday’s rehearsal are available with this story at www.newtownbee.com.