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I left the theatre with an imaginary friend

Metro Theatre presents ‘Harvey’

By Julia Siedlanowska

T= first thing you need to
understand when you enter the
world of the Metro Theatre is

that it operates on a non-professional
level. This is what I kept telling myself
while watching, or rather listening to,
Veta Louise Simmons (played by Susan
Cox). With her warbling voice and upper
lip jutting out in a pose of constant
complaint, I felt as if the overacting was
giving me an ulcer. I must say however,
that by the end of the show I was
surprised at how the entire cast of Harvey
redeemed itself.

Written by Mary Chase in the forties,
the story is of Elwood P. Dowd (played
by Trent Glukler) and his supposedly
imaginary friend Harvey, who just so
happens to be a six-foot tall rabbit.
Elwood, to the dismay of sister Veta,
brings Harvey everywhere, and introduces
him to everyone. Harvey and Elwood
have friends in every bar in town, where
Elwood loves to squander his mothers’

inheritance. Veta, finally having enough of
Elwood’s “embarrassments,” (and having
none of their mothers’ money) decides
to commit him into a mental institution.
A comedy of errors ensues after Dr.
Sanderson (Josh Zumstien) commits Veta,
instead of her brother, who appears to be a
very polite and eloquent man.

After all is resolved, and everyone
is finally convinced that it is Elwood
who is mentally unstable, they can
finally administer the cure to his insanity.

‘Elwood is to have an injection that will

make him a normal human being- “and

. we all know what bastards they are,” says

 

a cab driver (who also notes that after

patients have the injection they never chat .

and always give poor tips.) In the end,
Veta decides she would rather have to
live with Harvey than have her kind and
loving brother any different.

Thinking back, I realize that this play
would have quickly turned tragic if the
injection had actually been administered.
But it isn’t, and we can leave the theatre
feeling relieved and happy. The point
is made however, when we realize how
much we want people to conform to our
grumpy realities. But why not have an
imaginary friend if it brightens our day?

 

This production completely complements
the theme of the play. The actor playing
Judge Omar Gaffney (Kevin Sloan) is
hilariously terrible in the most charming
way, delivering his lines directly to

the audience, desperately in search

of a laugh. The hammy acting is all a
part of the charm. Just like Elwood’s
sister, I start off wanting to have the
actors conform to a less cheesy style

of acting, and end up hoping that the
injection won’t be administered. In the
end, I believe everyone left believing in
Harvey —or at least wanting to. Glukler
won us all over as Elwood, even inviting
Harvey (invisible to our eyes) to bow

in the curtain call—well deserved,
because Harvey may have been the most
believable character of them all.

Who: Metro Theatre

What: Harvey by Mary Chase

When: June 18- July 16

Where: 1370 SW Marine Dr. Vancouver
Why: Because it’s heart-warming!

 

Clanging, oozing, and cooing

The Jazz Festival strikes Vancouver again

By Julia Siedlanowska

hotel—admittedly in what my

friend humorously described as the
“peasant” seating —a marble block outside
of the assigned bar, we listened to the
sultry sounds of the Alita Dupray Quartet.
In a bar, in a hotel lobby, in a park, ora
pub, the Vancouver International Jazz
Festival has generated a legacy as an
accessible music celebration. With many
of the concerts being free, this event
encourages more than just connoisseurs to
explore the current local and international
jazz scene.

Founded by the Pacific Jazz and
Blues association, the festival has grown
into one of the most recognizable and
memorable celebrations throughout
Vancouver. With a mandate to increase
“the appreciation of music, strengthen
the local arts community, and work to
celebrate and animate the cityscape,”
the festival successfully manages this
on a large scale. Each year the festival
fills every cozy nook and cranny of
Vancouver with classical, fun, and
experimental jazz. In the case of some,
perhaps too experimental. My sister
recalls drinking at a pub in Gastown
during the festival a few years ago and
listening to something in the liking of
Miles Davis. Admitting that she perhaps
simply “didn’t understand” this type of

IE the lobby of the Pacific Rim

music, she and a few of her companions
proceeded to blow into their empty bottles
to contribute to the ambiance. Needles
to say, after a few looks from some more
serious jazz aficionados, they stopped.
For those who like to stick to their Ella
Fitzgerald or Irving Berlin compositions,
the jazz festival offers quartets with subtly
powerful vocalists like Alita Dupray.
‘The selection of World music is one
of the most exciting components of the
ten day festival. With artists like those
of the Western Saharan group Doueh,
audiences can listen to an exciting mix
of traditional Saharawi music and Jimi
Hendrix. More ethnic mixes included
Portuguese singer Ana Moura, who has
brought the traditional fado style of her
country into the modern day. Some of the
most accessible shows at the Vancouver
International Jazz Festival are the free
Latin groove performances at David Lam
Park in Yaletown. A family friendly event,
people of all ages sat, stood, and danced
to the beats of bands like Wil Campa y Su
Grand Union.

Offering something for everyone, the
VIJF provides a fun time full of quality
music. I appreciate the exposure, and
the encouragement it gives for arts in
Vancouver and around the world. With
arts funding dwindling, it’s a pleasure to
attend such a functional festival with so
many patrons.