S75 - The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald adapted by Simon Levy - 6m, 4w, 1 flexible
At once faithful to the novel yet imagined in a 21st-century theatricality, the adaptation uses contemporary stage craft to capture the lyric and poetic nature of Fitzgerald’s prose without resorting to overuse of 1st person direct address, and telescopes the action into a tight dramatic through-line.
In an age of extreme Illusion and Greed, the deeper themes of the failure of the American Dream, greed, the disadvantaged vs. the advantaged, West vs. East, illusion and the irrecoverable past, among others, are even more timely today than when the book was first published.
This is an adaptation accessible to students who’ve just read the novel, to those who “remember” the movie, to scholars and lovers of the novel, yet also stands alone as a dramatic work for those coming to the story for the first time.
Labels: adaptation
posted by Jim Vogel at 11:04 AM
8 Comments:
I liked it, but it has a number of challenges in the round. The scene changes could be messy and then there's the "death" scene at the end which could be really tacky if not done right. I read the reviews of the Guthrie's show, and they were not good. Mainly because the casting was horrible and there was no chemistry between the main actors. It would be a name-draw but if it is not done right, it could really backfire.
I think this is a really great adaptation. It is accessible, familiar, and would be an audience draw. I read it and was really excited about a really interesting and lavish unit set so no scene changes need to be done at all. I can see the billboard eyes on the Main Vom Platform. The biggest creative challenge is the car. I think it would be important to listen to the creator's desire for the scenes to melt into each other and make everything very suggestive rather than literal. The characters are written really well and there are great acting opportunities in this script. The themes of classism, loss of the American Dream, the disillusionment of wealth all feel relevant in our current moment. There are some anti-sematic themes and slurs that will have to be dealt with carefully in our current climate (warnings, etc).
I like the play. It certainly has Minnesota connections. As has been expressed, it has significant directorial and technical challenges. It would require an experienced director with a vision and a strong technical team to bring it out.
While not the same, "The Great Gatsby - the musical" will be playing in Minneapolis at the Orpheum in June 2026.
Not being a Gatsby fan I can only say it is a good adaptation and I think would be popular because of it being Gatsby. Not sure if the musical run would be a problem or not.
Gatsby has a name draw, minnesota connection, and I like this adaptation of it. I feel like Larisa's take is spot on and I haven't got anything better to add.
I agree that name recognition would make it a "draw." I do remember seeing the Guthrie production, however, and not liking it because of some of the staging issues. Unfortunately, as I recall, it was a case of the conceit of the design choices overwhelming the story and becoming a distraction. Then again, because it was "the Guthrie," with their budget and over-the-top technical capabilities, they could indulge the tech elements. That wouldn't likely happen at TRP and we could focus more on the story.
Finally got around to this one. I struggled with the book in high school so I was dreading it, but I found it very engaging and think we could come up with some great solutions to the problems. The car is my only concern, but I am sure we could be inventive with it.
I agree with a lot that's already been said. The name alone will be a big draw and there's a natural Minnesota/Midwest connection. It does seem on the longer side (about 110 pages), but it keeps your attention for the most part. I do agree with Larissa's points about the satire of the American dream/wealth, and the potential challenges with bigotry language.
So, in all, I don't absolutely love nor hate it. But, I know it would draw in a crowd.
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