Under the Spotlight: Mr. Harvey’s Contributions to Cate Theater

By Flora Adair '26

In two months, the musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 will erupt on the Cate stage in an explosion of feathers, glamour, and flashing lights. Although the performers on stage will bring the production to life, the most vital contributor to the musical will be backstage, helping actors get ready and step into their characters. The Spring Family weekend musical will be Mr. Harvey’s second Cate production, as he has already shown the community what he is capable of during the fall play Almost, Maine. 

Mr. Harvey arrived to teach theater at Cate in fall 2025, transitioning from teaching and working as an actor on the East Coast to teaching on the West Coast. Previously, as a teacher, Mr. Harvey mostly worked in higher education, teaching talented university students. Cate was a new educational experience for him, and while he shifted from working with young adults to growing teenagers, he found at Cate that he had to “raise [the bar] in a lot of ways...and as a teacher and artist, that is very exciting.” Mr. Harvey has the character work and inquiry process that goes into bringing a production to life.

One way he encourages actors to explore their characters is through a “Private Moment,” in which they reflect on their characters’ actions and attitudes even when no one is watching. This type of work helps performers connect with their characters and create a genuine story on stage. Performer Tree Payne ‘26, who is cast as Marya in The Great Comet, explains that they are excited about “the character work and collaborative work” that they see in the process of putting on the musical. The effects of Mr. Harvey’s teaching style are already felt in the early stages of the musical. His teaching style aligns with the Cate inquiry method, a technique that drew Mr. Harvey to the school. When talking about how he found Cate, Mr. Harvey explains, “There was a beautiful ‘a-ha’ moment when I read a little bit more into the inquiry-based moment. It had been a part of my teaching/directing philosophy all along, without me ever putting a name to it.” Digging into a character’s background and personal story, even if they aren't the focus of a scene, has been something Cate students have been able to adopt easily because they already know what thoughtful research and inquiry look like from their classes. 

Mr. Harvey has already made an impact on Cate Theater, and he also has a vision for the future: a place where Cate students can have fun and tap into their creativity, away from their other commitments. He believes, “in high-achieving environments, there can be so much pressure on the 'final product,' but I want my students to truly enjoy the work. I want to foster a space where they feel safe enough to be vulnerable and take risks. My goal is for them to use the arts to discover who they are, knowing they have a supportive environment to back them up.” Mr. Harvey recognizes how the arts can foster creativity and identity in ways that other academic classes might not. In a high-achieving school such as Cate, this emphasis on imagination and risk-taking is crucial.