Rialto Players to present Harvey

MORRILTON — Harvey’s coming to town.

He’ll be in Morrilton along with his friend Elwood P. Dowd and all the others in the cast of Harvey, when the Rialto Players present the comedic play by American playwright Mary Chase.

Many readers may remember the film version of Harvey, which starred Jimmy Stewart as Elwood. The play, which tells the tale of Elwood and his invisible friend, a giant rabbit named Harvey, debuted in 1944 in New York City and won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1945.

Local performances of Harvey will be April 20-22 and 27-29 at the Rialto Theater in Morrilton. Friday performances will be at 7 p.m., Saturday performances (dinner/theater nights) will be at 7:30, and Sunday matinee performances will be at 2.

“I think the audience is going to love Harvey,” said Casey Myers of Perryville, who is making her directorial debut with the Rialto Players. She has acted with the group twice before, appearing most recently in A Christmas Story.

“I love my magical cast in this show,” she

said. “They have made it so easy to bring Har

vey to life. It is definitely a shared vision with

us all.” Cast members include the following:◊Jim Bowles of Morrilton plays Elwood P.

Dowd, an easy-going man who has an invisible

friend, a large rabbit he calls Harvey.

“Elwood is a very interesting man,” Bowles said of his character. “I love his enthusiasm toward life and his willingness to go downtown (to drink).

“It’s been awhile, about two years, since I’vebeen on stage. We had another child during the last performance, and I was not available. But here I am; I am glad to be back.”

Bowles works at Acxiom Corp. as a solution component analyst.

◊Jonna Gibby of Morrilton plays Veta Simmons, Elwood’s sister.

“She’s a nervous wreck, a fuss-budget,” Gibby said of her character. “God love him (Elwood). I want to commit him to a sanitarium, but they end up committing me instead. I have a daughter; God love her. I’ve got to find her somebody. She wants to start becoming a socialite, but it’s not happening because of Elwood and Harvey. Elwood’s become an embarrassment to our family.”

Gibby is a veteran actor with the Rialto Players. She has also shared her talent with hair and makeup on several productions, and most recently ran lights for A Christmas Story. She is secretary for the Rialto Players Board of Directors.

Gibby is director/family enrichment service worker at the Perry Child Development Inc. Head Start.

◊Kayla Koontz of Morrilton portrays Elwood’s society wanna-be niece, Myrtle May Simmons.

“She kinda fits me,” the 15-year-old daughter of Bryce and Stephanie Koontz said. “I know I can be a brat; that’s the truth.

“She has a daring side that most people don’t know about. I like the way she dresses. She’s her own person.”

Kayla has appeared in two past productions with the Rialto Players and has worked behind the scenes on a number of productions. She is a sophomore at Morrilton High School.

◊Rich Minick of Russellville is making his Rialto debut as renowned psychiatrist Dr. William Chumley, owner of Chumley’s Rest.

“D r. C hu m l e y i s v e r y pompous, ver y arrogant,” Minick said of his character. “He’s very, very full of himself. He’s the owner of the sanitarium where they want to commit Elwood, but he buys into the idea of Harvey after running into him in a bar.”

Minick has a long resume in community theater in Ohio and Florida. Professionally, hehas worked in television, doing voice work in commercials for FOX, ABC and CBS. Minick and his wife, Ruth, moved to the River Valley area in 2011 from Lima, Ohio. He works for Joshua’s Fine Jewelry in Russellville as a horologist (watchmaker).

◊Jeannie Denniston of Morrilton plays the socialite Betty Chumley, the wife of Dr. Chumley.

“I’m well-kept,” she said of her character while dressed in an evening gown, complete with mink coat. “He (Dr. Chumley) calls me ‘Pet,’ and I call him ‘Willie.’

“My character is seen outside the hospital. I am on my way there to meet my husband. My character is the only one who has talked to Elwood about Harvey that does not know Harvey is a rabbit. I am very confused when I learn that.”

Denniston has been in a number of productions at the Rialto. She is an associate attorney at the law offices of Gordon, Caruth and Virden.

◊Ruth Minick of Russellville is making her Rialto stage debut in Harvey as Mrs. Ethel Chauvanet, a longtime Dowd family friend.

“I’ve known Elwood since he was born,” she said of her character. “I know I should be accepting about his outlandish behavior. I am rather outlandish myself (she’s wearing a foxstole, a hat and a rather large floral arrangement on her shoulder). I’ve got an eligible grandson for Myrtle Mae, but I’m not sure this is what would be best for our family.”

Ruth has a lot of theatrical experience. Like her husband, Rich, she appeared in many productions in Ohio and Florida.

“Here we are now, with a new group of theatrical people,” she said with a smile.

She works for Grace Manufacturing in Russellville in the financial department and assists with Web sales.

◊David Garrett of Plumerville portrays Judge Omar Gaffney, the Dowds’ family attorney and longtime friend.

“I love him,” Garrett said of his character. “ He’s cantankerous, way too sure of himself. He gets a dose of his own medicine in the play.”

Garrett, a retired school administrator, has appeared in two previous plays with the Rialto Players and has worked behind the scenes of several others. He serves on the Arts Council of Conway County Board of Directors.

◊John Hopkins of Morrilton plays Dr. Lyman Sanderson, Dr. Chumley’s assistant at Chumley’s Rest.

“I play a young doctor who is arrogant and knows it all,” Hopkins said of his character. “And I get it all wrong. I’m the one who commits the wrong person to the sanitarium.”

Hopkins joined the Rialto Players last fall, appearing on stage for the first time as Mr. Parker, Ralphie’s dad, in A Christmas Story.

Hopkins is the manager of the rehabilitation department at St. Vincent Morrilton.

◊Tenethrea Buffington of Conway appears as Ruth Kelly, a nurse on the staff at Chumley’s Rest.

“This is my first time to appear with the Rialto Players,” Buffington said. “I’m loving this character and this cast. We’re having a lot of fun.”

Buffington is a licensed professional counselor under contract with the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

◊Jeff Green of Perryville plays Duane Wilson, the longtime orderly at Chumley’s Rest.

“This is a pretty big role for me,” said Green, who has appeared in two other productions with the Rialto Players.

“This was the first play I saw as a child, so it has a special meaning for me. I’m really enjoying this play.”

Gre e n i s a te ch n i c i an at Crain Buick GMC in Conway.

◊Ed B oyer of C onwayappears as E.J. Lofgren, the cab driver.

“I’m the one who takes Elwood and Veta to the insane asylum,” Boyer said of his character. “I’m having fun with this.”

Last spring, Boyer and his wife, Mary, appeared in The Red Velvet Cake War, their first Rialto Players production.

Ed has been in several movies for senior film students at the University of Central Arkansas. He is employed at Hendrix College.

◊Mary Boyer of Conway appears as Miss Johnson, the maid.

“I have seven words in the play,” Mary said with a laugh. “I’m doing this for a giggle and a hoot.”

She has previous theatrical experience and is the executive assistant to the director of the Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative in Plumerville.

Additional members of the production staff include Stephanie Koontz of Morrilton, producer; Lindell Roberts of Morrilton, technical director; Hunter Garrett of Morrilton, stage manager; Gail Fickle of Morrilton, costumes; Jannetta Carney of Russellville, hair and makeup; Marty Ault of Morrilton, props; David Edwards of Morrilton, sound; Carolyn Hopkins of Morrilton, curtains; Coe Wilson of Petit Jean Mountain, house; Shawnna Bowles and Erin Horn, both of Morrilton, publicity; and Theresa Paladino and Skipper Dixon, both of Morrilton, hospitality.

Tickets for Harvey are available at the Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce office, the Rialto office and online at the theater’s website, rialtoartscenter.com. For more information, call the theater at (501) 477-9955.

In Perryville, general admission tickets are available at the Hidden Gallery. For more information, contact the Rev. Ron Thompson of Perryville, assistant director, at (501) 470-5279 or fr.ron@hotmail.com.

Since seating capacity per meal is limited to 80, dinner tickets are date specific and are not interchangeable from one night to the other. Meal tickets are $15 and must be purchased in advance by the Wednesday before the meal. They will not be available at the door or held at “will call.”

General-admission tickets for any of the performances are $10, may be purchased in advance and will also be available at the box office before the show. The cost for a dinner/theater evening is $25.