SCCC’s Performing Arts Department Presents ‘Harvey’

Sussex County Community College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department will present the 1945 Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy, Harvey, by Mary Chase, directed by Professor Allison Ognibene. Complementing the fall production are two free, cross-curricular events happening on campus.

Harvey tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a perfect gentleman who begins introducing his best friend, Harvey — a 6 1/2-foot-tall invisible rabbit — around town. Elwood’s embarrassed sister, Veta Louise, and her daughter, Myrtle Mae, are determined to commit him to a sanitarium. A comedy of errors ensues.

Performances will be held at the SCCC Performing Arts Center, located at 1 College Hill Road, Newton, New Jersey.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors, students and U.S. military members. Tickets can be purchased online at sussex.simpletix.com or at the door.

Mental Health Awareness Month

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the college’s Psychology and Visual and Performing Arts departments will host two programs on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The first event, “Hearing Someone Into Existence: A Cross-Curricular Conversation Inspired by Harvey,” will take place in the Performing Arts Center from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. It will feature a selected scene from the play, followed by a discussion moderated by Psychology Professor Rich Linden and Annette Hoffman, Ph.D., coordinator and family support specialist for Intensive Family Support Services (IFSS) at the Sussex County Mental Health Association. The conversation will explore neurodiversity, mental health, compassion and resilience through the lens of the play.

The Atrium of the Performing Arts Center will host the opening of a student art exhibition and discussion titled “Seeing the Invisible,” at 5 p.m. Inspired by the fall production of Harvey, the showcase features expressive student oil paintings exploring themes of nonconformity, imagination, kindness and acceptance. Students will present their work in grisaille—paintings rendered in shades of black and white—to reflect the idea of the unseen and the deeply felt.

Both Oct. 28 events are free and open to the public.