Friday, December 1, 2017

man, the colors... the colors...



Sure, your first reaction is that this must be from some whacky, psychodelic version of "The Wizard Of Oz".
Although I can certainly see how the bright colors would have led you there, I can assure you that is not the correct path, yellow bricks or not.
Those neon shades certainly are a bit blinding...
but they are not to be regarded as part of the set background.
They are actually a character in this updated "Harvey".
The colors try to distract, to attract attention to those who are portrayed as sane and 'normal' in this enlivened, lit up drama.
The man who sees the invisible rabbit is the only one clad in drab.
Wait!
That's not quite right, as we discover in the second act.
The cab driver wears a loud, neon-green splashed vest, but dark, monotone pants. How appropriate, yet subtle! As a man in a fairly invisible trade, he must be visible to all people as needed.
David L. Poole, gifted director of the Collective Face Ensemble, has been on a mission. This season, that mission has been to bring attention to marginalized people.
The first show, "Jesus Christ Superstar", showed us a man walking a different path than the majority. He had a double handful of people who believed in him, but most of society regarded him as an oddity.
Here, in "Harvey", we have another man walking a different path than everyone else. His sister and niece try to have him committed to a sanatorium, to put him safely away from their society friends. Not quite crucifixion, but once he'd undergone shock therapy, he would essentially be dead.
But the sister doesn't go through with that plan after all. She realizes that she loves him, warts and all, and finally accepts her brother's different life choice. She would rather have him in her life as himself instead of as a empty shell that 'fits in' with society's norms.
I totally understand that, especially as I am a sister to a middle brother who is living by his own rules. I love him, as he is, at last. I spent years of spinning my tires, trying to convince him to change, of refusing to accept his right to live as he wishes.
I'm glad Elwood's sister realized in time that she loves her brother as he is.
i thank You, God, that I have done the same.

1 comment:

faustina said...

Guess what?
I saw this again yesterday - for free!
I'm now an usher for Collective Face!!!
Merry Christmas to me - and thanks, Dandy and Bobbie!