Senior theatre majors Shiloh Duff and Travis Norton will be displaying their talents in the upcoming show “Harvey.” “Harvey,” written by Mary Chase, will be performed Sept. 13-14, in Culbertson Auditorium at 8 p.m. Tickets for this family-friendly comedy will cost $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. The box office will open on show nights beginning at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

Under the direction of guest director, Samantha Kennedy, “Harvey” tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary friend, a six-and-a-half-foot rabbit named Harvey. Elwood’s sister Veta, who has been witness to much of his eccentric behavior, decides to have him committed to a sanitarium to spare the rest of their family from more embarrassment.

Duff, of Scott City, Kan., takes the lead as Elwood P. Dowd for his senior project. While at Sterling, Duff has been involved in many shows including “Medea,” “The Hobbit,” “Godspell,” and “Much Ado About Nothing.”

“‘Harvey’ has been an incredible experience up to this point. Before rehearsals began, I was excited about playing the part of Elwood, but I had no idea the kind of effect it would have on me. As an actor, it's easy to forget how much we can receive from playing different roles within different performances,” said Duff.

Norton, of Liberal, Kan., hopes to pursue graduate school in scenic design and chose to design the set of “Harvey” for his senior project. While at Sterling,

Norton helped with the sets of “Godspell” and “The Odd Couple (Female Version),” and was the makeup artist for “Medea.”
“This has been a tremendous learning process for me. Harvey plays around with your imagination and questions your sanity, so I wanted the set to reflect that,” said Norton.

The cast of “Harvey” includes Raven Taylor of Wichita, Kan., as Veta Louise Simmons; Kayla Van Nover of Wichita, Kan., as Myrtle Mae Simmons; Ryan Ehresman of Wichita, Kan., as Lyman Sanderson; Cody Martin of Hutchinson, Kan., as Duane Wilson; Chelsey Moore of Wichita, Kan., as Ruth Kelly; Patrick Wright of Clearwater, Kan., as William R. Chumley; Jamie Fitzgerald of Liberal, Kan., as Betty Chumley; Jackie Wilkerson of Wichita, Kan., as Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet; Tate Strasner of Mount Hope, Kan., as Judge Omar Gaffney; and Taylor Stucky of Pretty Prairie, Kan., as E.J. Lofgren. “Harvey” is stage managed by Darsha Bechard of Belleville, Kan., with lighting design by Kyle Davis of Great Bend, Kan.

Sterling College is a Christ-centered, four-year college located in Sterling, Kan., with a mission to develop creative and thoughtful leaders who understand a maturing Christian faith. For more information, visit www.sterling.edu.

CUTLINE: Travis Norton of Liberal, Kan., works on the set of “Harvey” with Kayla Van Nover of Wichita, Kan. Norton’s set design is part of his senior project. “Harvey” is also the senior performance of Shiloh Duff of Scott City, Kan., as he performs the role of Elwood P. Dowd, the main character. “Harvey” will be performed Sept. 13-14 in Culbertson Auditorium on the campus of Sterling College at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. The box office will open on show nights at 7 p.m.