‘The Great Gatsby’ @ Stolen Shakespeare Guild
—Jan Farrington
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
In high school, I wasn’t a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby—me, and possibly millions of other sophomores and juniors. “At least it was short,” a friend reminded me when I brought the book up.
But Stolen Shakespeare Guild’s production of Simon Levy’s stage adaptation of Gatsby—the only “estate authorized” script, in fact—makes a strong case for the novel being warmer and wiser, and its characters much more interesting, than my teenage memory told me. Apologies, F. Scott.
Like The Glass Menagerie, this Great Gatsby is told in memories—the events are lodged in the mind of Nick Carraway (Michael McCrary plays him callow, charming, and too smart for his own good), a young Midwesterner thrown into the wild party that was The Roaring Twenties among the rich in and near New York City. Nick stops the action of the play with a snap of fingers, delivering a concise and compelling “take” on the story and the people—and leading us (snap!) into the next scene.
Directed by Nathan Autrey with energy and a great, slightly surreal style, we move easily between gaps of days, weeks, months. Autrey’s set design is, around the edges, a nightclub with tables and drink set-ups at the ready. A jazz singer (Stephanie Delgado is a treat) delivers vintage numbers (“Let’s Do It,” “What’ll I Do?”) from a microphone at the side. The empty center stage becomes many different locations, including a road at night lit only by startling headlights. (Nikki DeShea Smith’s lighting adds focus and atmosphere at all the right moments.)
Gatsby is a story about American self-invention and the consequences of our belief in being able to do, reach, have what we dream about. Jay Gatsby, the newly appeared, mysterious buyer of a showy Long Island mansion (think The Hamptons) lives in a swirl of rumors: How rich is he? What’s his business? Did he kill a man? Brian Alexander Gibson (recently noted as the Duke of Albany in Fair Assembly’s fine King Lear) plays it cool and charismatic, literally drawing our eyes in the white suit that catches the spotlight. (Lauren Morgan’s costumes serve very well; Gatsby’s suit and a black dress in exquisite Art Deco style are standouts.)
As Nick says, “there’s something gorgeous about him.” Gatsby has humor and warmth to spare when he wants to show it—striking up a sudden “old sport” friendship with fellow WWI veteran Nick, who is the cousin of Gatsby’s lovely neighbor Daisy Buchanan (Katherine Collins). Daisy is a Southern belle who, we find, shares a romantic past with Gatsby. Collins shifts deftly between Daisy the “beautifl fool” and Daisy the fragile but canny, self-interested belle.
In fact, Jay Gatsby has bought the mega-mansion simply to be near Daisy—to see the “green light” at the end of the dock at her house, shared with polo-playing husband Tom (Callon Belcher plays him with effective menace, as a controlling, unpredictable tough guy). Daisy uses her girlhood friend Jordan (Lynley Glickler gives her a dry wit and a lively spirit) as a buffer against Tom’s rough edges—and thinks Jordan might be the girl Nick needs.
The four lead actors are supported by a crowd of vivid characters: Tom’s swivel-hipped, low-rent mistress Myrtle (Lindsey Sinopoli); her addled and almost repellent mechanic husband George (Danny Macchietto, wow); Grady W. Smithey III and Stephanie Turner as hard-partying Mr. and Mrs. McKee (and others, including Smithey’s turn as a mobster and our genial nightclub host).
If Gatsby is still on the high school reading lists, drag any teens in your orbit to see this show. It’s an engaging—and sometimes surprisingly comic—introduction to Fitzgerald’s classic, and they’ll be miles ahead in American lit whenever it comes up. For myself, I’m glad I caught it, and replaced my grumpy memories with SSG’s fresh and compelling take. Now—maybe—I’ll pick up the book again.
WHEN: September 27-October 13, 2024
WHERE: 1300 Gendy St. (Museum District), Fort Worth
WEB: stolenshakespeareguild.org
