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Thursday, July 1, 2021

SVP Auditions for Harvey


Somerset

Valley Players

 

"Yes, we are the little red schoolhouse!"


Auditions at SVP

 

Audition Dates

Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 6pm and

Monday, July 19, 2021 at 7:30pm


Callback Date: Thursday, July 22 by invite only

 

Elwood P. Dowd insists on including his friend Harvey in all of his sister Veta’s social gatherings. Trouble is, Harvey is an imaginary six-and-a-half-foot-tall rabbit. To avoid future embarassment for her family—and especially for her daughter, Myrtle Mae—Veta decides to have Elwood committed to a sanitarium. At the sanitarium, a frantic Veta explains to the staff that her years of living with Elwood’s hallucination have caused her to see Harvey also, and so the doctors mistakenly commit her instead of her mild-mannered brother. The truth comes out, however; Veta is freed, and the search is on for Elwood, who eventually arrives at the sanitarium of his own volition, looking for Harvey. But it seems that Elwood and his invisible companion have had a strange influence on more than one of the doctors. Only at the end does Veta realize that maybe Harvey isn’t so bad after all.

 

Director Richard P. Butler is seeking the following:

5-6 Males Needed/Ages: Late 20s to 70s

6-7 Females/Ages: Mid 20s to 70s

 

Character Gender/Age Range /Description

Elwood P. Dowd Male/40s – 50s

A sweet, mild mannered yet dignified man who has a dreamy and innocent quality about him; a friendly eccentric who spends his days andnights in the taverns of his unnamed town.  Elwood is non-judgmental and without malice, charming and extremely likeable.

Elwood's best friend is Harvey, an invisible six and a half-foot-tall white rabbit.

Veta Louise Simmons Female/40s – 50s

Elwood's sister, who loves her brother but finds him to be an embarrassment to the family, especially when his behavior interferes with her efforts to pave her daughter's way into society. Also, his friendship with Harvey distresses her for another, very personal reason. She's a chronic worrier who often comes across as a bit manic and high strung.

Dr. William R. Chumley Male/40s – 50s

An esteemed psychiatrist and the head of Chumley’s Rest sanitarium.  A difficult, exacting man who has a very secure sense of his own authority and who inspires loyalty from his staff; secretly he would like to escape his everyday responsibilities and live a simpler life.

Dr. Lyman Sanderson Male/Late 20s – early 30s

A young and highly qualified psychiatrist at Chumley's Rest, handpicked by Dr. Chumley. His talent is only surpassed by his vanity and arrogance. He is as infatuated with Nurse Kelly as she is with him, although he often conceals those feelings with his callous, condescending behavior.

Nurse Ruth Kelly Female/Mid to late 20s

Nurse at Chumley’s Rest; a kind and intelligent young woman and a pleasant and efficient nurse.  She is in love with Dr. Sanderson, but also finds his manner infuriating at times when he refuses to acknowledge his feelings for her.

Myrtle Mae Simmons Female/Mid to late 20s.

Veta’s spoiled extremely self-centered daughter who is unmarried and eager to meet eligible men but believes her uncle's peculiar behavior is ruining her chances.

Duane Wilson Male/Late 20s – early 30s

The orderly at Chumley’s Rest who is responsible for handling difficult patients who will not cooperate voluntarily.  Not the most intelligent or sophisticated man.  He is extremely devoted to Dr. Chumley and is attracted to Myrtle Mae.

Judge Omar Gaffney Male/60s – 70s

An old and somewhat cantankerous family friend of the Dowd’s and the family’s lawyer.  Judge Gaffney is fiercely protective of the family, especially Veta.

Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet Female/60s – 70s

An old friend of the Dowd family, Mrs. Chauvenet is an overly affected wealthy socialite who is a shameless gossip monger.  However, she does have a warm spot in her heart for Elwood.  May double.

Betty Chumley Female/40s – 50s

Dr. Chumley’s kind and somewhat neglected wife.  More concerned with her social calendar than her husband’s practice, but at heart is a warm and caring person.  May double.

 E.J. Lofgren Male or Female/30s +

A street-smart cab driver who regularly takes patients to and from Chumley's Rest and is none too impressed with the results of Dr. Chumley’s treatments.  May double.

 

Special Notes for Auditioners:

Please sign up for an appointment by clicking here; readings are posted on svptheatre.org.  Age ranges in character breakdown are approximate and flexible.  All roles open to any race/ethnicity.

 

This Show is Sponsored by:

 


The theatre is Air-Conditioned and Wheelchair Accessible.

 

Theater Location

689 Amwell Road

Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Telephone: 908-369-7469

Email: webmaster@svptheatre.org

Website: http://www.svptheatre.org

Mailing Address

601 Route 206

Suite 26-216

Hillsborough, NJ 08844

 


Made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.