Theatre
Vereinigte Bühnen Bozen: Mein Freund Harvey
Mary Chase's play
Translated into German by Alfred Polgar
Co-production with Stadttheater Klagenfurt
Have you ever seen a 1.96-meter-tall white rabbit? Not just any rabbit, of course, but a pooka. No? Don’t worry, you’re in good company: neither Veta Louise Simmons nor her daughter Myrtle Mae have social relations with members of this species. Yet, one such creature actually lives with them, under the same roof. A white pooka named Harvey is, in fact, the best friend of Veta's brother, Elwood. The two are inseparable. They spend their time in the neighborhood bars, drinking and talking. Wherever Elwood goes, Harvey is never far behind. And, as befits a man of good manners, Elwood introduces his friend to everyone, much to the dismay of his family, to the point where Veta, desperate, fears for her reputation (and her daughter’s marriage prospects). A forced stay in a psychiatric ward seems to be the last resort. But she hasn’t reckoned with Harvey…
Elwood and Harvey encourage us to reflect on normality and deviance, on subjective social conventions that are not set in stone. Under the guise of a witty comedy, winner of a Pulitzer Prize, Mary Chase raises the question of how the so-called "normality" should "function," demonstrating through her engaging characters and with charming ease as well as whimsical poetry that there is no "right" answer. Slovenian-Carinthian director Mira Stadler will stage this comedy for the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and the Vereinigte Bühnen Bozen.
Translated into German by Alfred Polgar
Co-production with Stadttheater Klagenfurt
Have you ever seen a 1.96-meter-tall white rabbit? Not just any rabbit, of course, but a pooka. No? Don’t worry, you’re in good company: neither Veta Louise Simmons nor her daughter Myrtle Mae have social relations with members of this species. Yet, one such creature actually lives with them, under the same roof. A white pooka named Harvey is, in fact, the best friend of Veta's brother, Elwood. The two are inseparable. They spend their time in the neighborhood bars, drinking and talking. Wherever Elwood goes, Harvey is never far behind. And, as befits a man of good manners, Elwood introduces his friend to everyone, much to the dismay of his family, to the point where Veta, desperate, fears for her reputation (and her daughter’s marriage prospects). A forced stay in a psychiatric ward seems to be the last resort. But she hasn’t reckoned with Harvey…
Elwood and Harvey encourage us to reflect on normality and deviance, on subjective social conventions that are not set in stone. Under the guise of a witty comedy, winner of a Pulitzer Prize, Mary Chase raises the question of how the so-called "normality" should "function," demonstrating through her engaging characters and with charming ease as well as whimsical poetry that there is no "right" answer. Slovenian-Carinthian director Mira Stadler will stage this comedy for the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and the Vereinigte Bühnen Bozen.
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