Washington Community Center’s production of Harvey to open tonight

WASHINGTON - Folks in Washington are in for a laugh this weekend as the Washington Community Center will present Harvey.

Directed by Don Hughes, the show has a cast of 11 who have been hard at work for the last six weeks. Hughes said directing this particular one fell into his lap when the original director could no longer be part of the show. However, having directed several before, he readily stepped in.

The show revolves around a family who are having trouble accepting a new friend into the fold, he said.

'The main character Elwood P. Dowd says his best friend is an invisible rabbit named Harvey,” he said. 'It's driving his sister and niece crazy because everybody else thinks Elwood is a little nuts and they're trying very hard to establish themselves in society so it's very embarrassing so his sister comes up with a plan to have him committed and things kind of go off the rails from there.”

Hughes said the show is a comedy at its core, but has a good message of learning to accept people for who they are.

'It's very clever. It's funny and there are a lot of moments where some of the lines come out of nowhere,” he said. 'It's also a nice story about what's normal. If a guy says he has an invisible rabbit but it only makes him pleasant and he's not hurting anybody is that really so bad?”

The show is best geared toward teens and older, he said, due to mild language. However, those who choose to come out are guaranteed to leave laughing and enjoy a show that challenges what normal is.

'It's a good time. We have a great cast of familiar faces and we have at least one who has never been on stage before and we have another one who hasn't done any kind of acting since she was in high school. It's a great family activity and a great way to support the community,” he said.

Harvey will run at 7:30 p.m. on March 13, 14, 20 and 21 and a 2:30 p.m. matinee will take place on Sunday, March 22. Tickets can be purchased at the door.