A man with an imaginary bunny is making his way to Coupeville this weekend.

The Coupeville High School drama program is performing “Harvey” as its final play of the school year. The thespians held their first performance last night and the show continues tonight and Sunday at the Coupeville Performing Arts Center.

“Harvey” is the story of Elwood P. Dowd who happens to have as a sidekick a six-and-a-half-foot white rabbit that other people can’t see. Hilarious situations ensue as his family tries to have Elwood committed to a mental institution.

“Harvey,” a comedy written by Mary Chase, earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1944 and it was adapted to film, starring Jimmy Stewart, in a memorable 1950 performance.

Director Peg Tennant said an experience stable of senior actors at Coupeville this year allowed her to select more challenging material than usual for high school productions.

“I chose the plays this school year because I knew I had seven strong seniors,” Tennant said. She wanted each senior to perform in a significant role during their final school year.

Including the seniors, there are approximately 30 students who make up the cast and crew of “Harvey.” The students have been working on the new play for the past eight weeks. During one recent rehearsal, the young actors practiced on the stage while volunteers were preparing for a community banquet scheduled for later in the evening.

Cast members find the material in “Harvey” challenging.

“It’s been really difficult to do a character like Elwood,” said senior Michael Loyd between scenes. He said Elwood is a subtle character who doesn’t necessarily react in the same manner he would in such situations.

But Loyd has the experience to pull it off. He has acted since the sixth grade and aspires to study theater and film when he attends college in the fall.

Some of the seniors are passing their acting skills on to others at the high school.

Senior Angeline Fox is an acting coach for the production of “Harvey” and provides pointers for the underclassmen who may not have much theater experience. She has to help them improve while letting students develop their characters.

“I help with movement. They learn their lines on their own,” said Fox, who is planning to study theater and criminal justice in college.

The students are always willing to help one another, a fact which impresses the director.

“This is a really unselfish group of people,” Tennant said.

This weekend’s production marks the third play performed by the drama students during the school year, which is one more than in previous years.

The drama students performed “Splendor in the Grass” in November and “The Glass Menagerie” in April. Tennant said she chose the plays to challenge her students. Although the stories are quite different, each play offers a similar theme.

“There’s a real strong theme of love, redemption and acceptance in everything we’ve done this year,” Tennant said.

Students performed “The Glass Menagerie” at the Washington State Drama Festival in March at Western Washington University — the first time Coupeville students have performed at such a festival. Tennant said Coupeville was the smallest school participating and the performance earned the school a rating of excellent.

Because of the talented performers who will return to the drama program, Tennant said she plans to present three plays again next school year.

Approximately 60 students, drawn from both the middle school and high school, participate in the drama program. Students without a role helped publicize the play to the community and undertake other tasks to help the production succeed.

Theater-lovers are sure to find “Harvey” enjoyable, and during the intermission tonight they can enjoy fine desserts and refreshments presented as a fund-raiser benefiting the drug- and alcohol-free graduation night celebration.