A Little Potato and Hard to Peel

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“We were called The Little Potatoes and Hard to Peel . . . we were smaller than the other kids and maybe not as talented, but we always played with our hearts. So, it didn’t matter if we won or lost, we never got down, because we knew on the inside . . . we were tuff and hard to peel.”

THIS IS HOW DAVID’S GRANDFATHER, Pop Pop, begins a legendary story about his little league baseball team during a family reunion in Kentucky, along the winding Ohio River. As the tale unravels, David starts to think Pop Pop might be teaching him more than just the rules of baseball. Back home in Georgia, David is embarking on a new adventure as he begins middle school, a time of exciting changes that he will navigate single-handedly. David was born without his right hand, a “glitch” that allows him to adapt differently to all experiences. Soon, he finds himself wondering if he can follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and join his little league all-star team with one mitt. Full of vulnerability and despair, humor and hope, we learn the universal power of his grandfather’s story as it echoes in David’s life, reminding us to not let challenges and perceived limitations peel away our humanity.

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Little Potato poster image 2014 (2)A Little Potato and Hard to Peel is a universal story…that is, a universal story about a not so ordinary life. In his warm, smart, and engaging autobiographical solo show, David Harrell delivers a hilarious and insightful look at living with a disability.  He was born in southern Georgia, in the 70s, without his right hand.  His parents, having never known anyone with a disability, promised he would never be different.  He soon realizes, however, the metal hook he wears on his right hand does in fact make him feel different. A Little Potato and Hard to Peel is not so much a show about living with a disability or overcoming the circumstances of his life but the journey to find the awareness to not be defined by limitations. Through his journey we learn to not let ourselves be defined by our own limitations or let the circumstances of our lives peel away the core of our humanity.

For more information on booking A Little Potato and Hard to Peel contact us here.

Top inquire about or book David for a School Performance, go here.

IMAGES FROM THE PERFORMANCE // Photos by Ken Stein
DOWNLOADABLE IMAGES HERE // Click the images below to open in a new window

VIDEO CLIPS
The School Assembly Version of my solo play “A Little Potato and Hard to Peel”

TESTIMONIALS

David Harrell is the kind of international solo performer you want at your festival. His show, “A Little Potato and Hard to Peel” is brilliant in it’s honest and heart-felt writing. His performance is flawless and extremely dynamic, as he brings to life all his distinct characters, with great humanity and humour.  He is a consummate professional and super nice guy.  Passionate about his work and the cause it celebrates, helping people with all levels of abilities to soar, David is a great example of the best of solo theatre with soul.

Tracey Erin Smith Artistic Director, SOULO Theatre Festival, Toronto, Canada

 

David Harrell is a charismatic performer who can charm audiences from 5 to 95 years old. He is also quite flexible and able to adjust his message and show to a wide variety of venue situations and audience compositions. He held a room of business people in rapt attention in the morning and that afternoon, during an after-school program, he kept 65 at risk children enthralled for 45 minutes. Over and above his prodigious talent, he is extremely easy to work with. I recommend him highly; in fact, I am trying to bring him back!

Naima Kradjian CEO, Goodwill Theatre, Inc. Johnson City, NY

 

David Harrell’s A Little Potato and Hard to Peel is incredible. His performance energy is awe-inspiring and something any actor should hope to attain.

Todd Fisher, Director of the Greensboro Fringe Festival

 

We asked David to bring his show to Winston Salem, North Carolina as part of Paper Lantern Theatre Company’s 2013-2014 Season.  He blew our audiences away with his one man show A Little Potato and Hard to Peel.  We received incredible feedback on the show, from our patrons and local critics.  Audiences were deeply moved – to laughter and to tears.  I have no doubt we not only kept our current audience incredibly happy with David’s production, but gained some new followers as well.  It is a unique theatre experience – an example of just how compelling a simple theatre piece can be – driven by a powerful story and stellar acting.

Amy da Luz, Artistic Director of Paper Lantern Theatre Company

 

REVIEWS + PRESS

“A Little Potato and Hard to Peel” is a remarkable show, tightly written and, yes, brilliantly executed. It’s an inspiration, it’s an education, it is truly remarkable.”
– Winston-Salem Journal
(read full review) or (pdf)
”David Harrell has a story to share. And his one-man show, A Little Potato and Hard to Peel, is more than a life simply worth telling. It’s told well. With the help of director Kirk White, Harrell draws on the bitterest disappointments and proudest triumphs of his past to craft a performance piece as touching as it is dynamic.”
– Jack Smart Reviews
(read full review)
”…letting us walk with him in his shoes during this hour-long show is edifying and illuminating. He excels at sharing, at helping his audience explore and feel some of what he has been through. I think we’re all of us better for that sharing.”
– Martin Denton, nytheatre.com
(read full review)

”David Harrell is an attractive,engaging, outgoing young man with a compelling story and a knack for telling it that fully captivates audiences of all ages. The genius of this script is that the well-crafted words are Harrell’s own words and story, and no one can tell it any better. This is good diversity-education material that ought to be seen in every school in the state.”
– Jim Cavener, Asheville Citizen-Times

Article from Examiner.com, October 24, 2013 (pdf)
Article from Queens Tribune, October 17, 2013 (pdf)
Article from Theater in the Now, October 14, 2013 (pdf)
Article from Go Triad News Record, Greenboro, NC, January 20, 2011 (pdf)
Article from Brunswick News, Brunswick, GA, April 27, 2011 (pdf)