{"id":199124,"date":"2026-05-21T19:04:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T19:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/199124\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T19:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T19:04:12","slug":"reading-community-players-stage-classic-comedy-harvey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/199124\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading Community Players stage classic comedy ‘Harvey’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading Community Players<\/a> will stage Mary Chase\u2019s classic, award-winning drama \u201cHarvey,\u201d June 5 to 7, at the WCR Center for the Arts.<\/p>\n

This warm, whimsical comedy follows the gentle, eccentric Elwood and his unseen companion, a 6-foot-tall rabbit who upends the expectations of a small town and reveals the surprising power of kindness and imagination.<\/p>\n

Elwood P. Dowd is a genial, unflappable man whose best friend is Harvey, an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit. When Elwood\u2019s sister, Veta, worries that his eccentricities are embarrassing, she tries to have him committed to a sanitarium. What follows is a nutty and comic unraveling of social pretenses as characters confront what it means to be normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHarvey stretches our definition of \u2018normal\u2019. You will meet a guy whose best friend is an invisible 6-foot rabbit, and somehow he\u2019s the only normal one on stage!\u201d cast member Nadine Poper said in the release.<\/p>\n

\"AlexAlex Dorscheimer will portray Elwood P. Dowd, pictured with his best friend, Harvey, an invisible six-foot white rabbit, during the Reading Community Players production of \u201cHarvey\u201d June 5 to 7. (Photo courtesy of Megan Martin)<\/p>\n

The play balances broad comedy with tender moments, ultimately asking audiences to consider compassion, acceptance, and the value of seeing the world with wonder.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur audience will walk away smiling, for sure, and, hopefully, with a deeper understanding of how and why we should accept those around us who see the world through a different lens,\u201d director Megan Martin said in the release.<\/p>\n

The local cast of 11 has run into challenges bringing this Pulitzer-winning script to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are layers to these characters. Veta Louise in particular is so much more than she seems at first glance,\u201d said Allison Schiding. \u201cI really hope I am doing justice to her internal conflicts and her struggle to do what\u2019s right by all the people she cares about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EmilyEmily Hershey, Allison Schiding, and Sean C. Hafer in the Reading Community Players production of \u201cHarvey\u201d at the WCR Center for the Arts June 5 to 7. (Photo courtesy of Megan Martin)<\/p>\n

Also in comedy, timing is not always everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo make a comedy come off as funny, you really need a sense of trust,\u201d Dave Bitler said. \u201cI think the cast understands that and is working hard to help each other make this the best show we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harvey is ideal for audiences who enjoy classic American comedy, character-driven stories, and theater that blends laughter with heart. The show is family-friendly for children and teens.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and can be purchased online at RCPstage.ludus.com. Flex passes for the 2026 season are also available with big savings. The WCR Center for the Arts is located at 140 N. 5th St., Reading. Free parking is available at 210 N. Fifth Street.<\/p>\n

Contact the Reading Community Players box office at rcptheatre@gmail.com for further information.<\/p>\n

Reading Community Players is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to bringing quality theatre and arts education to communities. To learn more about the organization and its offerings, visit www.readingcommplayers.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reading Community Players will stage Mary Chase\u2019s classic, award-winning drama \u201cHarvey,\u201d June 5 to 7, at the WCR…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":199125,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,1681,182,858,2568,17437,28,736,128,130,129,1483,289,706],"class_list":["post-199124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-entertainment","tag-local-news","tag-ontap","tag-patriot-item","tag-patriot-item-lifestyle","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-theater","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories-reg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}