It may be cold outside, but “Harvey,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Mary Chase, is a heartwarming comedy about Elwood and his best friend Harvey, an invisible rabbit. Embarrassed by Elwood and Harvey, Veta, his sister, decides to send Elwood to a sanitarium. However, instead of Elwood, Veta is committed. A search for Elwood ensues.

The play was chosen by director Suzie Sime. “I chose ‘Harvey’ because goodness wins out. And I think right now in our country, there’s a lot of negative things going on, and so I wanted to put something out to the universe that was positive and fun,” said Sime.

Students have been preparing for the play for almost two months. Senior Ike Nebecker plays Elwood. He has most enjoyed learning about his character. “It has been really rewarding exploring what it’s like to actually just connect with people and have no prejudices,” he said.

Nebecker is also trying to be more like Elwood. “At the end of the day, what you have are the relationships you make with people, and you should never discount a person because of their superficial qualities,” said Nebecker.

The crew has been working hard on the set, costumes, and other behind-scenes aspects of the play. Sophomore Sydney Lewis designed the lights for the show. “It’s really interesting trying to navigate how to deal with an invisible character and acting with somebody who isn’t there,” said Lewis. “ I’m trying to represent him more with a light and kind of follow him around stage when he’s going place to show that he’s a real [thing] and not just a figment of the imagination.”

“ It think it’s interesting and thought-provoking, but it’s also really funny,” said Nebecker about the play. “Harvey” will be performed Thursday through Saturday (February 1, 2, and 3) in the EPHS auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students. They can be purchased online at edenpr.org/tickets at the door starting at 6:30 pm.