Play Guide...The Great Gatsby Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. This means all of our artists, administrators

The Great Gatsby

Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide 1

Play Guide

The Great Gatsby


3 WHO WE ARE4 INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY4 CHARACTERS 6 SYNOPSIS7 F. SCOTT FITZGERALD13 AN INTERVIEW WITH SIMON LEVY17 THE ROARING TWENTIES20 PROHIBITION24 THE JAZZ AGE26 THE AMERICAN DREAM28 NEW YORK IN THE 1920s29 WOMEN IN THE 1920s

33 TIMELINE OF EVENTS38 DIRECTING GATSBY42 SYMBOLISM IN THE GREAT GATSBY45 GLOSSARY AND PERIOD REFERENCES

IN THE PLAY49 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 53 AMERICA PLAYS! LESSON PLANS 59 REFERENCES

It is Arizona Theatre Company’s goal to share the enriching experience of live theatre. This play guide is intended to help you prepare for your visit to Arizona Theatre Company. Should you have comments or suggestions regarding the play guide, or if you need more information about scheduling trips to see an ATC production, please feel free to contact us:

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The Great Gatsby Play Guide compiled and written by Jennifer Bazzell, Literary Manager and Katherine Monberg, Artistic Intern. Discussion questions and activities prepared by Cale Epps, Education Manager April Jackson, Associate Education Manager and Amber Tibbitts, Education Associate. Layout by Gabriel Armijo.

Phoenix: Cale Epps Education Manager(602) 256-6899 ext 6503(602) 256-7399 fax

Tucson: April Jackson Associate Education Manager(520) 884-8210 ext 8506(520) 628-9129 fax

Support for ATC’s Education and Community Programming has been provided by:OrganizationsAPSArizona Commission on the ArtsBank of America FoundationCity Of GlendaleCommunity Foundation for Southern ArizonaCox CharitiesDowntown Tucson PartnershipEnterprise Holdings FoundationFord Motor Company FundFreeport-McMoran Copper & Gold FoundationGannettJPMorgan ChaseNational Endowment for the ArtsPhoenix Office of Arts and CulturePICOR Charitable FoundationScottsdale League for the ArtsStonewall FoundationTargetThe Boeing CompanyThe Donald Pitt Family FoundationThe Johnson Family Foundation, Inc.The Marshall FoundationThe Maurice and Meta Gross FoundationThe Max and Victoria Dreyfus FoundationThe Stocker FoundationThe William L. and Ruth T. Pendleton Memorial FundTucson Medical CenterTucson Pima Arts Council

IndividualsMs. Jessica L. Andrews and Mr. Timothy W. ToothmanMs. Beth A. BankMr. and Mrs. Franklin L. BennettMr. Brain BlaneyJana BommersbachMr. Robert BookerMs. Sally BranchMs. Peter Deluca and Mrs TamarRala KreiswirthMr. and Mrs. Darryl B. DobrasSharon Dupont McCordMr. and Mrs. Bruce L. DusenberryMs. Laura EvansMr. and Mrs. Burton FaigenMr. and Mrs. Edward FarmilantMs. Catherine M. FoleyMs. Sandra FossMr. and Mrs. Eric FreedbergMr. Jack FriedlandMr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. GaiaMr. Henry GallinMs. Kate GarnerDr. Mary Jo GhoryMr. Patric Giclas and Mrs. Gail M. GiclasMr. and Mrs. David Ira GoldsteinMs. Linda Goode

Mrs. Laura GrafmanKristie GrahamMr. and Mrs. Paul GreenMr. Greg B. HalesMr. David HansenMr. Terrence M. HansonMs. Athia L. HardtMs. Brenda HelpsMr. Ken HeronLeigh HerrMr. and Mrs. M. Langdon HillMegan HiltyMr. David IaconisMr. Gary JordanMr. Richard KautzMr. Darrel KiddMr. Randall KincaidMr. Everett L. King IIIMr. and Mrs. Dennis KnightMr. Kenneth KociubaMr. and Mrs. Richard C. KraemerMr. Jeff KunkelMr. Jeff LemonMr. William C. Lewis and Mr. Rick K. UnderwoodMr. Ray LombardiMeilani Lombardi AndresMr. Rick LombardoMr. and Mrs. James LovelaceIna Manaster

Ms. Norma MartensHamilton McRaeMs. Rita A. MeiserMs. Thelma MillerMs. JeanMarie MooreMr. and Mrs. Fred A. Nachman IIIThomas C. PattersonMr. and Mrs. John D. Ratliff Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Chris ReaneyMs. Marsha ReingenDr. and Mrs. Sanford H. RothMs. Jennifer RuddleMr. Fernando Romero and Ms. Dina Scalone-RomeroDrs. John and Helen SchaeferMr. and Mrs. Eric E. SchindlerMr. and Mrs. Lewis D. SchorrMr. Michael C. Schroeder and Mr. Steven J. EaglesonMr. and Mrs. Michael SeidenSalim ShafiMr. and Mrs. Elliott J. SolomonMs. Jan SpaethMr. Howard N. StewartMs. Terri ThorsonMr. Michael TompkinsMr. Thomas WarneMr. Russ WilesQuinn WilliamsLeslie Woodruff

The Great Gatsby


Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. This means all of our artists, administrators and production staff are paid professionals, and the income we receive from ticket sales and contributions goes right back into our budget to create our work, rather than to any particular person as a profit.

Each season, ATC employs hundreds of actors, directors and designers from all over the country to create the work you see on stage. In addition, ATC currently employs about 100 staff members in our production shops and administrative offices in Tucson and Phoenix during our season. Among these people are carpenters, painters, marketing professionals, fundraisers, stage directors, computer specialists, sound and light board operators, tailors, costume designers, box office agents, stage crew -the list is endless- representing an amazing range of talents and skills.

We are also supported by a Board of Trustees, a group of business and community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the theatre in financial and legal matters, advise in marketing and fundraising, and help represent

the theatre in our community. Roughly 150,000 people attend our shows every year, and several thousands of those people support us with charitable contributions in addition to purchasing their tickets. Businesses large and small, private foundations and the city and state governments also support our work financially.

All of this is in support of our mission: to create professional theatre that continually strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence and that resonates locally, in the state of Arizona and throughout the nation. In order to fulfill its mission, the theatre produces a broad repertoire ranging from classics to new works, engages artists of the highest caliber, and is committed to assuring access to the broadest spectrum of citizens.

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY: WHO WE AREThousands of people make our work at ATC possible!W

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Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, Arizona

Herberger Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona

The Great Gatsby


INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Adapted by Simon LevyDirected by Stephen Wrentmore

CHARACTERS

Considered by many to be the Great American Novel, The Great Gatsby is at once titillating, fascinating and shocking in its portrayal of The Jazz Age that was soon to disappear from the American landscape. In this first authorized adaptation since 1926, Simon Levy brings the humor, irony, pathos and loveliness of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s American classic to the stage. Navigate the languid atmosphere of wealth and privilege with Nick Carraway as he observes the glittering, elaborate parties of his neighbor, the infamous and illusive Jay Gatsby. Part of ATC’s AMERICA PLAYS! Celebrating Great American Stories series, The Great Gatsby’s sharp depiction of the “American Dream” resonates anew for each generation.

Jay Gatsby: A “Midwesterner” by birth, Gatsby’s past is shrouded in mystery, while his present persona exhibits an incredibly rich man with a strong emotional attachment to a woman from his past. “‘I wouldn’t ask too much of her,’ [Nick] ventured. ‘You can’t repeat the past.’ ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ [Gatsby] cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’"

Daisy Buchanan: Born to a wealthy family in Louisville, Daisy is a debutante and socialite whose past with Gatsby collides with her present life with her husband, Tom. “‘Her voice is full of money,’ [Gatsby] said suddenly. That was it. I’d [Nick] never understood before. It was full of money — that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it ... high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl.”

Scenic Model by Yoon Bae, designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby

David Macdonald, the actor who plays Jay Gatsby in ATC’s The Great Gatsby

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Nick Carraway: Nick is a true Midwesterner, having come East to attend Yale and then work in bonds and explore New York. Nick is the play’s narrator and it is through his eyes that we experience the other characters and the events of the story. He is the cousin and former classmate of Daisy and Tom Buchanan, respectively. “Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I [Nick] am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”

Tom Buchanan: A Yale-educated man from a wealthy and respected family, Tom has never had to play by the rules because the rules don’t apply to someone of his social standing. “‘Now, don’t think my opinion on these matters is final,’ [Tom] seemed to say, ‘just because I’m stronger and more of a man than you are.’”

Jordan Baker: A professional female golf player, Jordan has little family but money to spare. A friend of Daisy and Tom, Jordan is a knowledgeable source of gossip regarding the social circles in which the characters move. “She was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage and, given this unwillingness, I [Nick] suppose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young in order to keep that cool, insolent smile turned to the world and yet satisfy the demands of her hard, jaunty body.”

Myrtle Wilson: A fiery woman of a lower social class than many of the other characters in the play, Myrtle and her husband George live in the valley of ashes near New York City. “Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment, and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her, until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air.”

Costume rendering for Nick by David K. Mickelsen, costume designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby

Monette Magrath, the actor who plays Daisy Buchanan in ATC’s The Great Gatsby

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George Wilson: The owner of a garage in the valley of ashes, George is a layman in this world of the excessively wealthy. “’I know,’” [George] said definitely, ‘I’m one of those trusting fellas and I don’t think any harm to nobody, but when I get to know a thing I know it.’”

Meyer Wolfshiem: An associate of Gatsby’s who appears to have ties to various criminal organizations. Gatsby said, “He’s the man who fixed the World’s Series back in 1919.”

Mr. McKee: Myrtle’s friend.

Mrs. McKee: Myrtle’s friend.

Mrs. Michaelis: A witness to a crime.

Cop/Dancers/Etc.

SYNOPSISF. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece The Great Gatsby takes place in 1922. As the horror of the First World War abates, the Roaring Twenties take center stage. Prohibition is in effect and flappers have burst onto the scene. Into this world of wealth and privilege come Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner drawn by the lure of big city vitality, and Jay Gatsby, a curious tycoon drawn by a lure altogether more mysterious. Nick’s world consists of working in bonds and socializing

Zachary Ford, the actor who plays Nick Carraway in ATC’s The Great Gatsby

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F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

Scenic Model by Yoon Bae, designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby Sofia Jean Gomez, the actor who plays Jordan Baker in ATC’s The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1937. Credit: Carl Van Vechten

with his cousin Daisy Buchanan; her husband, Tom Buchanan; and their friend, Jordan Baker, a female golf professional with whom Nick shares romantic chemistry. Nick also meets the enigmatic Gatsby, whose mansion next door to Nick’s modest cottage is the site of constant parties and drunken ribaldry which mask an urgent but unknown ulterior motive of the host. Unbeknownst to Nick, Daisy and Gatsby share a romantic history, one that neither of them has ever forgotten. Gatsby’s appearance on West Egg this summer is not coincidence, but a calculated attempt to regain his past love. Fitzgerald’s dynamic characters careen toward a devastating conclusion to a story of love, grandeur and tragedy as social worlds collide, and those privileged few of the highest echelon of society make choices that, once decided, can never be taken back.

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnnesota on September 24, 1896, to parents Edward and Mary and was named after Francis Scott Key, the author of “The Star Spangled Banner,” Fitzgerald’s second cousin three times removed on his father’s side. When Edward’s wicker furniture business in St. Paul failed, he obtained a position as a salesman for Proctor & Gamble that brought the family to New York, frequently moving between Buffalo and the upstate area for the first 10 years of Fitzgerald’s life. In 1908, when Fitzgerald was 12, his father lost his job and the family moved back to Minnesota to live on his mother’s inheritance from her family’s successful wholesale grocery business in St. Paul.

The Great Gatsby


Fitzgerald’s family perceived his intelligence and talent early in his youth. He attended the St. Paul Academy and was first published at the age of 13 – a detective story he’d written for his school newspaper. At age 15, his family sent him to the prestigious Newman School, a Catholic preparatory school in New Jersey. During his time there he met Father Sigourney Fay, who recognized and encouraged his exceptional brilliance as a writer. After his graduation from the Newman School in 1913, Fitzgerald remained in New Jersey to continue his literary development at Princeton University. While there he worked industriously to hone his craft, writing articles for the Princeton Tiger, a humor magazine, writing scripts and lyrics for the Triangle Club musicals, and authoring stories for the Nassau Literary

The opening lines of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby are some of the most famous in all of English literature. The Great Gatsby begins:

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.

‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’”

Did You Know?

Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, at age 17.

Magazine, a Princeton publication. However, his intense focus on his development as a writer drew his attention away from his other studies. He was placed on academic probation, and dropped out of the university in 1917 to join the United States Army as the U.S. prepared to enter World War I. Afraid that he would not return from the war, in the time leading up to reporting for duty Fitzgerald frantically drafted his first novel, The Romantic Egotist. Though it was rejected by Charles Scribners’ Sons publishing company, its originality was carefully noted and Fitzgerald was encouraged to continue submitting his literary creations.

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The original cover art for This Side of Paradise, 1920.

The May 1, 1920 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, the first issue with Fitzgerald’s name appeared on the cover, containing his short story, “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”.

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Fitzgerald entered World War I and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the infantry. He was stationed at Camp Sheridan just outside of Montgomery, Alabama, where he met and fell in love with Zelda Sayre, the daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge. Fitzgerald was discharged from the army in 1919 at the end of the war, having never been deployed. He resubmitted The Romantic Egotist for publication, and was

The closing lines of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby are ALSO some of the most famous in all of English literature. The Great Gatsby ends:

“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—to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther….And one fine morning—So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

Interesting fact: The very last sentence of The Great Gatsby graces the tomb of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald in Rockville, Maryland.

Did You Know?

again denied. He moved to New York City, intending to embark on an illustrious career in advertising that would provide enough incentive to convince Zelda to marry him. While he was in New York, Zelda broke off their engagement, unwilling to wait for him to make his fortune and unwilling to live on his small income. Fitzgerald quickly found the advertising job to be unsatisfactory, however, and after only a few months he returned to St. Paul to rewrite his novel.

The rewrite of his first work in its new incarnation titled This Side of Paradise, set at Princeton and cataloguing the love and career aspirations of Armory Blaine, was published in 1920. With the immediate success of the novel, Fitzgerald was quickly catapulted to the position of one of the most promising young writers in America. Wielding his new status as an acclaimed author, Fitzgerald married Zelda Sayre in New York one week after the novel’s publication. The two had one daughter, Frances Scott (Scottie) Fitzgerald, the following year.

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Fitzgerald reveled in his newfound celebrity status and luxuriated in the decadent, extravagant world of 1920s wealth to which he suddenly found himself admitted. His wild and promiscuous lifestyle gained him a reputation as a playboy, however, which began to hinder his endeavors as a serious literary artist. His primary source of financial support was the publication of numerous short stories in popular publications such as Esquire and The Saturday Evening Post. Some of his most famous stories appeared in these publications, including “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz.” In 1922, Fitzgerald published his second novel, The Beautiful and Damned, a story surrounding the unhappy marriage of Gloria and Anthony Patch. It was this novel that firmly engrained him in history as a reporter of what we have come to know as the “Roaring Twenties,” an era of affluence, extravagance, and the wild abandonment of conservative values. The 1922 first edition cover of

The Beautiful and Damned, the characters of Anthony and Gloria drawn to resemble F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

To maintain the momentum of his creativity, Fitzgerald moved to Paris, France in 1924, joining many important artistic and literary figures of his day including Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and Samuel Beckett. Together they constituted the first wave of expatriate migration to Paris that occurred between the world wars as a part of what Gertrude Stein called “the Lost Generation” – those disillusioned by the devastation of World War I that sought artistic and personal fulfillment. The artistic conversation and melding of ideas in Paris provided relief and refuge for many artists of all genres. While in France in 1925, Fitzgerald published what critics and readers generally agree to be his greatest work, The Great Gatsby. The novel did receive critical acclaim at its publication, but it was not until much later, in the 1950s and 1960s, that it achieved iconic status as a prime example of the Great American Novel and the definitive portrayal of the Jazz Age – a term Fitzgerald coined himself.

"First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." – F. Scott Fitzgerald

After the publication of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s happiness in his marriage deteriorated as Zelda became involved with a French naval aviator. After learning of the affair, Fitzgerald began to experience severe bouts of writer’s block. Having always been a drinker, he began to seek refuge in the bottle, steadily developing an intense alcoholism. Always seeking a better atmosphere, the Fitzgeralds split much of their time in the late 1920s between America and France. Fitzgerald attempted an unsuccessful stint in Hollywood before settling in a mansion in Delaware in 1927. The following year, Zelda began to train as a ballerina,

The Great Gatsby


F. Scott Fitzgerald was never truly satisfied with the title The Great Gatsby. He vacillated between various titles for the novel including Gatsby; Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires; Trimalchio; Trimalchio in West Egg; On the Road to West Egg; Under the Red, White, and Blue; Gold-Hatted Gatsby and The High-Bouncing Lover. Zelda and the publisher convinced him to agree to the title The Great Gatsby, but he tried even until the last minute before the novel’s 1925 publication to change it.

Did You Know?

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Fully immersed in alcohol and depression, Fitzgerald attempted once more to revive his career in 1937, moving to Hollywood as a screenwriter and freelance storywriter. While this choice did not gain him the critical acclaim he was accustomed to garnering, it did achieve him the financial stability to begin writing his fifth novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, in 1939. The manuscript was approximately halfway completed at the time of his death from a heart attack at the age of 44 on December 21, 1940, at the home of his mistress, movie columnist Sheilah Graham.

intending to become a professional dancer despite her late start to the art form and previous lack of experience. The physical and mental training strained both her health and their marriage, and Zelda began to have increasingly severe manifestations of mental illness which took further toll on her health and well-being. Zelda was briefly committed to a mental asylum in Switzerland in 1930 and, the following year, was committed to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland after suffering another mental breakdown. While a patient at Johns Hopkins, Zelda wrote the autobiographical novel Save Me the Waltz, which further estranged her from her husband, who saw it as a preemptive revelation of the material he was using in his own novel-in-progress. Zelda spent the rest of her life in or as an outpatient of sanatoriums. In 1934, Fitzgerald published his fourth novel, Tender is the Night, the story of an American psychiatrist in Paris and his problematic marriage to a patient of wealth; the autobiographical novel clearly parallels Fitzgerald’s own life at the time. In 1936, Zelda entered the Highland Hospital in North Carolina, where she spent the remainder of her life until her death in a fire at the hospital in 1948.

F. Scott Fitzgerald died believing himself a failure, but critics and readers remember him today as one of the greatest American novelists of all time. For many readers of his work, his life’s journey represents that of the quintessential writer who burned brightly, but briefly. The Great Gatsby remains one of the most-taught novels in high schools and colleges across the nation, and its themes of American aspiration, ambition, and failure represent some of the defining characteristics of classic American literature. -written by Katherine Monberg, Artistic Intern

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Fitzgerald NovelsThis Side of Paradise• (1920)The Beautiful and Damned• (1922)The Great Gatsby• (1925)Tender is the Night• (1934)The Last Tycoon• (originally The Love of the Last Tycoon published posthumously, 1941)

Short Story CollectionsFlappers and Philosophers (1920)•Tales of the Jazz Age (1922)•All the Sad Young Men (1926)•Taps at Reveille (1935)•Afternoon of an Author: A Selection of Uncollected Stories and Essays (1957)•Babylon Revisited and Other Stories (1960)•The Pat Hobby Stories (1962)•The Basil and Josephine Stories (1973)•The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald (1989)•

Short Stories and Novelettes"Bernice Bobs Her Hair" • (1920)"Head and Shoulders" • (1920)"The Ice Palace" • (1920)"May Day" • (1920)"The Offshore Pirate" • (1920)"The Four Fists" • (1920)"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" • (1921)"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" • (1922)"Winter Dreams" • (1922)"Dice, Brassknuckles & Guitar" • (1923)"The Rich Boy" • (1926)"• He Thinks He's Wonderful" (1928)"The Freshest Boy" • (1928)"Magnetism" • (1928)"A New Leaf" • (1931)"Babylon Revisited" • (1931)"Crazy Sunday" • (1932)"The Fiend" • (1935)"The Bridal Party"•"The Baby Party" •"The Lost Decade" • (1938)

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AN INTERVIEW WITH SIMON LEVYAdapter Simon Levy answered questions from ATC Literary Manager Jenny Bazzell about undertaking the creation of a stage version of The Great Gatsby. Read on to discover the process he took to secure the rights from the Fitzgerald estate, how he dealt with the logistics of adapting such an iconic novel and how he integrated the specifics of the era into the script.

OTHER WRITINGSThe Vegetable, or From President to Postman • (play, 1923)The Crack-Up • (essays, 1945)On Negative Capability • (essay, 1944) - www.wikipedia.com

Jenny Bazzell: Yours is the only stage adaptation of The Great Gatsby authorized by the Fitzgerald estate. Can you tell us a little bit about what steps were involved in securing

Simon Levy

permission for your adaptation?

Simon Levy: Like any good story, the journey to obtaining the stage rights to The Great Gatsby was a long one full of idealism, luck, perseverance, disappointments, proving one's self to the guardians at the gate, overcoming obstacles, and ultimately, passion. When I first approached the Fitzgerald Estate in the early '90s they said no, The Great Gatsby was off-limits. However, because of my passion and idealism and love of Fitzgerald, they told me I could do another novel, with severe restrictions attached of course. They had to approve it first. So, essentially, I would have to do it on spec. I'd just finished reading Tender is the Night, which I adored and, sadly, identified with. I'd been going through some of the things Dick Diver encounters in the novel, so I was very passionate about it. Everyone thought I was crazy. "Impossible," my colleagues said. "It's unwieldy, unadaptable." Well, nothing makes me more passionate than the "impossible." I figured I could whip it out in a few months and see what the Fitzgerald Estate thought, then worry about the rest. 2 1/2 years later (I'm giving you the short version), I finally presented a draft I was proud of, the Estate approved it, we staged it at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, it was a hit, and won the PEN Literary Award for Drama. I went back to the Estate, awards in hand, and asked for Gatsby again. Again they said no. "But pick something else," they said. "Like what?" I asked. "How about The Last Tycoon?" "But it's an unfinished novel," I said. "So finish it." Another challenge! 1 1/2 years later (I was getting faster) The Last Tycoon was produced at the Fountain Theatre to critical and popular success. So I went

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to the Fitzgerald Estate once again with awards in hand... and this time they said yes, with the caveat that they would have to approve it first. 2 years later I presented them with a draft, which they loved and approved as the official stage adaptation of the novel. JB: With a work as rich in language and imagery as The Great Gatsby how did you make decisions regarding what to keep and what not to include in your adaptation?

SL: The challenge of honoring Fitzgerald and this massively iconic novel, as well as honoring the craft of theatre, required getting deep into the novel, into Fitzgerald himself, into all the essays and books written about the symbolism and metaphors and themes. I read everything! I wanted to know, intuitively and intellectually, what worked and what didn't with all the other adaptations (film, TV, theatre, opera, ballet), and with other successful and unsuccessful stage adaptations of other famous novels. For a period of my life I became a walking encyclopedia on adaptation. But at the end of that journey I realized that, ultimately, I needed to know who I was in this adaptation. What sang to me? Where was my heart

Costume rendering for Daisy by David K. Mickelsen, costume designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby

Actor Marta Reiman, who plays Myrtle Wilson in ATC’s production of The Great Gatsby.

inside these characters, these enormous ideas? What did I want to say about Illusion vs. Reality, the pursuit of the American Dream, greed, the advantaged vs. the disadvantaged, West vs. East, disillusionment and the irrecoverable past, and most importantly, love and betrayal? Over the last 6 years there have been so many rewrites, but at the heart of them the central question has always been how do I use the language of theatre (the "plastic elements" as Tennessee Williams used to call them) to honor the beauty of Fitzgerald's prose. Fitzgerald's plot is what it is - illusion, love, pursuit of the American Dream, adultery, betrayal, death, disappointment, and the need to "beat on" - so one uses or adapts or creates dialogue to be true to Fitzgerald, to tell The Story (all of which has been agonized over and tested again and again), but the success of the stage adaptation will not be so much in What is said but How it is presented so that it honors the themes and symbols and metaphors that make this the great American novel. JB: There has only been one previous production of your script. What did you learn from that?

SL: Like any playwright/adapter, the primary thing I learned is that I needed to keep rewriting! Rhythm is essential to anything I create. That production showed me where the hiccups are: Sometimes it was a word, a line, an entire scene, even a character. I did a major rewrite after that.

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Warehouse filled with barrels of illegal alcohol during the days of Prohibition.

JB: Gatsby is the titular character of the novel and the play adaptation, and yet he’s an elusive individual, described by multiple characters in both texts in numerous ways. No one can seem to agree on exactly who or what Gatsby is. Did that present a challenge as you worked on your adaptation?

SL: It became one of the major challenges. Obviously, when we read a novel we imagine. When we watch a play we see. That which is elusive in a book becomes corporeal on stage. An actor can't play mystery or being mysterious, he has to play actions and wants, so there's no getting around that on stage.

However, what you can do is PRESENT Gatsby mysteriously, which is why I open the play with him half-turned away from the audience, in shadow, silhouette. The opening stage direction is:

The haunting cry of a SAX.

A MAN appears out of mist, out of a dreamscape, staring off into a blinking green light, dressed in a white tuxedo, half turned away from us so he's not completely visible. It's important he be insubstantial, ghostly, an illusion.

SPOT up on NICK CARRAWAY in the mist. He carries a suitcase.

It's why I have Gatsby "appear" and "disappear" throughout the play, or have him in shadow in the background. Ultimately, it's the director who theatricalizes this, uses stage language to create the illusion. It's not so much the What but the How. JB: The 1920s is such a fun era in American history. Between bootleggers, flappers and Prohibition, the period is inherently theatrical. How did you work specifically to include elements of the era in the adaptation?

SL: It's absolutely essential that any production of the adaptation recreate the 1920s... because it's inherently theatrical... and fun! Throughout the text I've integrated specifics

William Peden, the actor who plays Tom Buchanan in ATC’s The Great Gatsby

about the clothes, the music, dances, songs, the parties, the drinking, and capturing the carefree abandonment of that period. Originally, I wanted a live sax player to underscore the play, to always be present, to symbolically represent the period. He was an actual character, The Saxman. I also wanted him to be African American, to make a political and cultural statement, which is a theme Fitzgerald has in the novel. But some felt it was unwieldy and too expensive; I was fought on it and the idea got diluted. I still think it's a wonderful idea and absolutely

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Actor Kevin Black, who plays George Wilson in ATC’s production of The Great Gatsby.

right for the tone of the play. However, I cut the character from the current draft so that directors had more freedom with how they wanted to present the music that is absolutely essential to the production. In my Author's Note at the front of the play, I say:

the described stage setting is the idealized vision of the play played out against a larger-than-life mythic backdrop where spectacular production elements substitute for the lyric beauty of Fitzgerald's descriptive prose; however, symbolism and metaphor, which are central to the novel, may be realized in many ways, and I leave it to the imagination of directors to tell the story as simply or elaborately as they choose. It's my intention that scenes overlap, linger, even play simultaneously sometimes so we play freely with time and space. If possible, it would be exciting to have a live musician (sax, clarinet) to represent the passion and sound of the Jazz Age as music is integral to the telling of this story. One should approach this play the way you would a musical.

JB: Will there be anything in the adaptation that you think will surprise audience members that perhaps they are not expecting? And will you be able to make it to Arizona to see the work onstage?

SL: What often happens with iconic novels, especially this one which is celebrated for its exquisite prose and lofty themes, is that we romanticize them. We look at them through a gauze of awe and respect. We fall in love with style and form. We forget that great stories are about great characters caught up in great plots. At the heart of this novel is adultery, betrayal and love. Gatsby loves Daisy. Daisy loves Gatsby (and Tom). Tom loves Daisy (and Myrtle). Myrtle loves Tom. Wilson loves Myrtle. Jordan loves Daisy. And Nick loves Daisy (and Gatsby). Look at all the terrible things we do for love! What I hope will surprise (or remind) the audience is that these are deeply flawed people, like us; people who have stinky feet and who make terrible mistakes, destroy lives, or who have to pick up after the destroyers. There is pain and humiliation and death. Yes, it all happens against a backdrop of beauty and illusion, against the sights and sounds of the Jazz Age, inside the quest for the American Dream - but as important as Form is to this novel and this stage presentation, it's the Content that we will always carry with us, a remembrance of great and singular characters!

I absolutely wouldn't miss the production. Not only because I admire Arizona Theatre Company and its dedication to an art form I love, but because it'll be fun just to be an audience member!

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“If we ever get back [from the war] and I don’t particularly care, we’ll be rather aged—in the worst way. After all life hasn’t much to offer except youth and I suppose for older people the love of youth in others.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, from a letter to his cousin Ceci

THE ROARING TWENTIESAt the conclusion of World War I in 1919, America found itself on the brink of an unparalleled era of wealth and affluence. This transitional time provided a welcome and necessary contrast to the atrocities of a war that had reached a scale of global carnage unprecedented in human history. Fresh from a wartime economy that boosted industry and put paychecks in the pockets of millions of soldiers, the concept of consumer goods erupted in the American market. People had excess cash and suddenly found a panoply of things to purchase with it, as the rapid growth of industry; such as automobile manufacturing, coupled with governmental policies designed to stimulate growth began to give rise to the consumerism

Illustration of a flapper by Russell Patterson titled “Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire.”

that quickly became a tenet of American capitalism. Not only were the American people seeking an outlet for disposable income, the American psyche was also seeking a refuge and a means of relief from the horror and bloodshed of the war still fresh in their minds. This combination of means and need provided the impetus for a decade of wild abandonment of the social and moral values of the previous age – which had led to the conflict that so scarred the globe – in exchange for newfound gaiety, freedom, artistic exploration and the smooth, unexpected sounds of jazz. The Roaring Twenties arrived forcefully in the wake of war, and rearranged the societal norms of an entire nation.

The early 1920s saw the development in America of mass everything: mass production created products efficiently enough for the common man to afford them and mass broadcasting in the form of radio enabled the common man to be informed of the existence of such products. Electrical recording in 1925 sparked the music industry to branch into home entertainment and advances in film and aviation allowed communication across previously immutable boundaries of time and distance. These new technological forays provoked the need for an immediately adaptive infrastructure: road construction began so people could use their new cars, electrification progressed so people could listen to their new phonographs, and local governments invested deeply in these aspects of a new and improved world situation. A still, used to produce illegal

alcohol during Prohibition days.

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A South Carolina Representative doing the Charleston with two flappers in front of the U.S. Capitol.

The urbanization that had begun with the development of industry in the previous decades peaked, and for the first time more Americans found themselves in urban centers than in rural landscapes. The quick exchange of ideas facilitated by population concentration piggybacked on the need for a new American identity in the world, and innovation in art, music, and literature poured out of American minds, particularly in the expatriate community in Paris, giving America some of its most highly regarded works of all time. The need to explore, to express, and to push against the norms of the careful past gave us the 1920s that we think of: a world of flappers and speakeasies, wild parties, illegal substances (which included alcohol under Prohibition from 1920-1933), and decadence.

The Lost Generation

Famous American Writers From the 1920s:F. Scott Fitzgerald•Gertrude Stein•Edith Wharton•Eugene O’Neill•Robert Frost•Sinclair Lewis •Sherwood Anderson•James Joyce•T.S. Eliot•Willa Cather•William Carlos Williams•H.L. Mencken•Ernest Hemingway •Alain Locke•Anzia Yesierska•William Faulkner•Langston Hughes•Countee Cullen•

World War I left Americans, particularly young adults, with a heavy sense of disillusionment and futility, transforming them into what Gertrude Stein dubbed “The Lost Generation.” Many creative minds of the day sought artistic and literary fulfillment in Paris, including a large expatriate community of American authors seeking an atmosphere more supportive of the artist’s endeavors. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Samuel Beckett, Ezra Pound, and many others made their way to France in the lull between the World Wars and produced some of the greatest American works of all time, creating a body of literature that exemplifies the human condition and the American state of mind in the post-war years.

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The newfound culture of consumerism, and subsequent greed, gave birth to the social satire of Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson, Edith Wharton, and H.L. Mencken, whose works paved the way for the Stephen Colberts and Jon Stewarts of today. The integration of sound in American film, first attempted in The Jazz Singer in 1927, allowed the creation of movie stars, and the debut of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse in 1928 changed popular culture forever. The idea of a mainstream culture began to mature as jazz, originally a product of African American communities, began to be incorporated into white America and the Harlem Renaissance, a period of massive development in African American literary and artistic culture, took off. States’ racial demographics continued to shift drastically with The Great Migration of African Americans from southern states that had begun at the end of the Civil War and continued throughout the 1920s. The Chrysler Building in New York

City, representing the Art Deco style that arrived in the U.S. in the late 1920s.

Fashion in the 1920s

The 1920s brought with it a strong deviation from Victorian ideals as well as Victorian appearances. Women’s fashion exploded in the 1920s, bringing the knee length, bare-armed dresses of the flappers, short bobbed haircuts for women, and the first acceptable modern use of cosmetics. Men began to abandon their formal daytime apparel, and athletic apparel became acceptable for daily wear for the first time.

Art in the 1920s

There were two distinct artistic movements whose roots are grounded in the 1920s. The first, surrealism, began in post-World War I literary and artistic circles, and was related to the earlier Dada movement. Surrealist works feature unexpected juxtaposition, non sequitur, and the element of surprise. Art Deco also began to emerge in art and architecture, though it didn’t catch on in the U.S. until the latter part of the decade. It is characterized by bold forms and unusual materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, and zebra skin.

The rising popularity of jazz brought with it a rise in the popularity of dance, and the subsequent need for new and lively music produced an entire generation of musicians that became famous as performers, vocalists, and orchestra leaders, including Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby, and Louis Armstrong. Blues and an early form of country music debuted during this same time making famous such performers as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, Jimmie Rodgers and Charlie Poole. Conversations regarding the need for racial equality and tolerance of sexual orientation became accepted social discourse, in some circles, for the first time.

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PROHIBITION

The luxury of the 1920s brought on by massive and impetuous spending in a quickly developing world reached a point where it could no longer be maintained. After rapid increases and positive speculation in the stock market spurred massive spending and investing, stock prices suddenly collapsed on October 29, 1929, a day known as Black Tuesday. From the height of an era of unprecedented affluence, America found itself thrust unceremoniously into the midst of the Great Depression which took the jobs and livelihoods of millions across the country in the early 1930s. Social attitudes swung back toward a conservative base as once again the “mistakes” of the past brought the United States to an era of desperation and need, the glittering memory of the Roaring Twenties crushed beneath the weight of the Depression. -written by Katherine Monberg, Artistic Intern

A crowd gathering on Wall Street just after the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

Literature advocating Prohibition emphasized the dangers of alcohol as a threat to family harmony and values.

The Great Gatsby is set during the 1920s, a time well-known for the United States' enactment of the 18th Amendment which established national Prohibition. What exactly was Prohibition?

“When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.” – John D. Rockefeller

Origins

Following the American Revolution of 1779, alcohol consumption climbed in the United States. In the 19th century, the average American drank three times as much hard liquor as the average American today. Additionally, many saloonkeepers offered sideline services at their establishments, including gambling, cock-fighting, and prostitution, that enticed men and kept saloons in business. Concern regarding the quantity and frequency of drunkenness grew as some individuals saw such behavior as a threat to social order and familial harmony. Some women were especially alarmed by the drinking behavior of their husbands, which sometimes led to abuse and frivolous spending. Thus the temperance movement was born. Initially, the temperance movement encouraged moderation and restraint in the consumption of alcohol; eventually these crusades led

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“The statistics of every state show a greater amount of crime and misery attributable to the use of ardent spirits obtained at these retail liquor saloons than to any other source.” –Crowley v. Christensen, 1890

Toward a National Prohibition

In 1913, the Anti-Saloon League announced that it would strive for national prohibition through a constitutional amendment. They partnered with the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and in 1916 gained the two-thirds majority from Congress that was necessary to initiate the amendment. World War I propelled the temperance movement and activists tried to persuade the public that patriotism required self-sacrifice, including abstinence from alcohol. In 1919, less than one year after the conclusion of the war, the 18th Amendment was ratified. Interestingly, while women at the time were unable to vote or hold political office, the 18th Amendment’s success was due largely to female

Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol, 1920s.

influence. The 18th Amendment went into effect on January 16, 1920. This was shortly followed by the ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920 that gave women the right to vote.

Prohibition parties still exist today. They support candidates running for public office and their political platforms are posted on their websites.

Did You Know?

Life During Prohibition

Prohibition is marked as the period in which the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol was illegal in the United States. Prohibition shut down the business of brewers, distillers, vintners, and wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. By regulating private businesses, many people felt that 18th Amendment infringed upon their freedoms established in the Bill of Rights. Technically speaking, the 18th Amendment did not forbid alcohol consumption. This loophole made it possible for many citizens to obtain alcohol legally from various sources. Some individuals stockpiled alcohol in the nearly one year

to the formation of the infamous Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, whose agenda included full-fledged campaigns for local bans on alcohol. These campaigns were reasonably successful, with many states adopting statutes banning the sale of alcohol. However, many of these local temperance initiatives were met with resistance, notably the 1855 deadly Portland Rum Riot in Maine in which one man was killed and seven other people injured. Despite these setbacks, efforts to achieve prohibition would eventually extend to the national government.

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Throughout the novel, various characters suspect that at least part of the source of Gatsby’s wealth stems from bootlegging. All of the characters consider alcohol consumption as a normal part of their excess-driven lives; however, Gatsby’s possible connection to bootlegging is sometimes used as an excuse for disdain.

“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.” – Comedian W. C. Fields

Alcohol was also attainable through other means, albeit illicit. Prohibition did not eradicate drinking, it simply forced it underground. A new type of gangster arose from Prohibition; awareness that the demand for alcohol exceeded its availability presented a lucrative opportunity. Organized crime groups smuggled alcohol from the Caribbean or Canada. They also established underground bars called “speakeasies.” Speakeasies required a password for entry and were equipped with an elaborate system of alarms in case of police raids. The groups

During Prohibition, liquor consumption for medicinal and religious purposes was still legal. “Whiskey Prescriptions,” like this one, were common.

that controlled the liquor industry, such as the Purple Gang of Detroit, were idealized and achieved celebrity status during Prohibition. But these gangs brought many grave repercussions to American society due to the threats, violence and secrecry at all costs that were required of their businesses.

Consequences of Prohibition

Without regulation, the quality of black market alcohol declined and on average 1,000 Americans died each year due to poisioning. In addition, hundreds of gang related murders took place each year. Al Capone, perhaps the most well-known bootlegger of Prohibition, ran Chicago operations and considered himself a “public benefactor.” However, members of Al Capone's gang murdered seven rival bootleggers on February 14, 1929 in what

Prohibition authorities pour illegal liquor into a sewer, 1920s.

it took to put Prohibition into effect. Also, alcohol remained legal for medicinal purposes and doctors wrote whiskey prescriptions for a myriad of ailments. Finally, the law also permitted the distribution of alcohol at sacramental ceremonies. Needless to say, the number of patients and church/synagogue attendees skyrocketed during Prohibition, as did the number of pharmacies and self-proclaimed rabbis. No concerted attempt was made to stop this behavior, so it continued without interrogation.

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came to be known as “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.” This event is representative of rampant violence present during Prohibition. Although the government had hired federal Prohibition agents (police) to raid speakeasies and arrest bootleggers, these agents’ salaries were inadequete, which led to a high rate of bribery. In addition, the justice system failed to keep up. Prisons were overcrowded and defendants were kept there for extensive lengths of time awaiting their trial dates.

“I make my money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law, my customers, who number hundreds of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am. Everybody calls me a racketeer. I call myself a businessman.” – Bootlegger Al Capone

“There is as much of a chance of repealing the eighteenth amendment as there is for a humming bird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail. This country is for temperance and prohibition and it is going to continue to elect members of Congress who believe in that.” – Senator Morris Sheppard, 1930

Proponents of Prohibition had anticipated that the dry era would bring economic prosperity because former drinkers would put their money into other industries. This hypothesis did not come to fruition; instead, many industries suffered as a consequence of Prohibition. Prohibition also led to the elimination of thousands of jobs and stinted state tax revenues whose budget was dependent on excise taxes in liquor sales.

Advertisement for the Prohibition Party from the 1920s. Little known fact: the Prohibition Party still exists today!

The goal of the temperance movement was to safeguard society from the harmful effects of alcohol and improve Americans’ quality of life. It took almost 100 years of activism before the 18th Amendment was ratified, but the genuine prohibition of alcohol failed to materialize, and ironically created the opposite effect: it fostered intemperance, criminality, political corruption, and hypocrisy. The failure of Prohibition can be attributed to a lack of public support and the government’s ineffective enforcement of the law. Even prominent citizens and politicians later admitted to having used alcohol during Prohibition, including President Warren Harding who had publically supported the temperance movement.

The Great Gatsby


Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential platform of 1932 promised the end of Prohibition. Approximately three quarters of the populace and three quarters of the states also favored this decision. On December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment was ratified. This amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, allowing the business of alcohol to once again be legal. To this day, the 18th Amendment is the only U.S. amendment that has ever been repealed. One of the catalysts for the 21st Amendment was the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The 21st Amendment supported the government fiscally by creating new jobs and bringing in an additional sales tax. After Prohibition had been federally repealed, many states continued prohibition in their own jurisdictions. After the 21st Amendment was implemented, approximately a third of Americans still lived in areas with Prohibition. By 1966, however, all states had completely removed their own Prohibition laws. -written by Shannon Rzucidlo, Education Intern

THE JAZZ AGE

Freshly free of the perils of World War I, 1920s America was caught up in a fierce reaction against the conservative ideals whose substance had been shattered by the realities of global warfare. Now, with the fighting over and American industry at a peak of post-wartime profit and affluence, new ideals were emerging to replace the disillusionment left behind by years of death and sacrifice on a scale that man had never encountered before. In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald sought a term to describe the vibrant, unhindered, flamboyant new American era that was exploding around him. He called it “The Jazz Age.”

Louis Armstrong, one of the great American jazz musicians who emerged in the 1920s.

Popular Standards of the Early 1920s:

“Avalon”• (1920) written by Al Jolson, Buddy DeSylva and Vincent Rose (though it contained a melody from a Puccini aria and a lawsuit involving royalties ensued). “Margie”• (1920) composed by Con Conrad and J. Russel Robinson with lyrics by Benny Davis. “The Sheik of Araby”• (1921) composed by Ted Snyder with lyrics by Harry B. Smith and Francis Wheeler.“Bugle Call Rag”• (1922) by Billy Meyers, Jack Pettis and Elmer Schoebel“Farewell Blues”• (1922) by Paul Mares, Leon Roppolo and Elmer Schoebel of the Friar's Society Orchestra“Charleston”• (1923) composed by James P. Johnson with lyrics by Cecil Mack“Tin Roof Blues”• (1923) by George Brunies, Paul Mares, Ben Pollack, Leon Roppolo and Mel Stitzel of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings

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“Jazz I regard as an American folk-music.” – Composer George Gershwin

The cultural quest for a fresh identity and a new place in the world sent young Americans into moral and physical spaces previously unexplored. Coupled with the advent of mass entertainment in the form of the radio broadcast, mainstream culture was ripe for the introduction of the previously forbidden. Young people sought new means of expression to communicate the extremity of the experiences with which the war had left them. Jazz, traditionally an art form of the African American community, satisfied the newfound desire to push against previously immutable boundaries through its introduction into white mainstream culture.

Duke Ellington, a jazz musician of the Harlem Renaissance. Photo taken in 1953.

Jazz great Joe “King” Oliver, in a portrait from around 1915.

Contrary to the classical music and show tunes popularized during the previous decades, jazz was unlike anything that mainstream American culture had ever heard before. With its loud, syncopated, sultry tones, jazz provided the soundtrack to the moral and behavioral exploration of a new era. Some critics blamed jazz’s unexpected melodies and the freedom of its rhythm for the unconstrained behavior that accompanied it. The wild, raucous abandonment of classical rules of musical theory was indicative of an unraveling of the rigid society left behind in the wake of the war.

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The origins of the word “jazz” are mysterious. While historians agree it began as a slang term and that originally it seems not to have referred to music, the exact word from which it derives is uncertain. One theory supports the idea that the word derives from “jasm” meaning energy and vigor that dates to the nineteenth century. Even when the word transitioned to its more modern usage, alternative spellings such as “jass” “jas” and “jasz” were common until 1918.

Jazz, which originated in New Orleans, migrated to the New York area in the 1920s as a facet of the Harlem Renaissance, which created some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Duke Ellington, Joe “King” Oliver, and Louis Armstrong all made their fame and fortune in the Jazz Age, becoming some of the most recognized names in American music.

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“The world, as a rule, does not live on beaches and in country clubs.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald in an undated letter to his daughter Scottie

“I look out at it—and I think it is the most beautiful history in the world. It is the history of me and my people…It is the history of all aspiration—not just the American dream but the human dream and if I came at the end of it that too is a place in the line of the pioneers.” – From F. Scott Fitzgerald’s notes for his last novel, The Last Tycoon

Jazz represented more than a simple change of taste in musical style; it was statement of change, independence, and generational autocracy. It collided directly with the ideals of the previous generation, destabilizing the sense of order, propriety, and convention that had culminated in the devastation of World War I. If the old ways of the world had led to such catastrophe, then a new philosophy had come to take its place – a philosophy of freedom, of beauty, and of jazz. -written by Katherine Monberg, Artistic Intern

THE AMERICAN DREAM

American life and literature since the time of the nation’s inception are scattered with the idealism of success attainable through merit and the quality of one’s character. This concept that hard work, integrity, and intelligent decision-making will be rewarded by financial and personal success is the very foundation upon which the American Dream rests. The Great Gatsby interrogates this version of “success” and raises questions about the derivation of happiness and personal fulfillment from the financial security provided by the attainment of such a Dream.

Actor Katie McFadzen who plays Mrs. McKee and Mrs. Michaelis in ATC’s production of The Great Gatsby.

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Historically, the capitalist endeavors that would financially admit one to the top tiers of American society proved to be somewhat superficial; simply having money was not enough to admit one to the highest social circles, which valued a sense of lineage. Particularly in the upsurge of wealth brought on by the industry boom in the 1920s in which fortunes were made for working men, the sociology of wealth became important. An appreciation of “old money” – and the family names that were associated with it – took on a sense of quality and depth. The upper class sought to maintain their status atop the social hierarchy by constructing a new qualification of quality: the age of their wealth. "New money" was looked down upon by the established wealthy of the day, who saw it as vulgar and gaudy, lacking in the grace, poise, and sophistication established only by generations of practice.

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Costume rendering for Gatsby by David K. Mickelsen, costume designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby

Particularly, individuals with money that had been earned in a “questionable” fashion – i.e. in enterprises of dubious legal standing such as bootlegging, organized crime and prostitution – faced a less than warm reception into the top of the social strata. The 1920s then became a space of cultural conflict as the quick influx of all things “new” – the new woman, the nouveau riche with their new money, and a new system of moral and behavioral values – contrasted directly and immediately with the norms of the previous decades.

The 1%

While the increase in wealth experienced in the U.S. post-World War I did generally raise the per capita income across the board, the making of spectacular fortunes that we see in The Great Gatsby is not representative of the collective whole. There was an unequal distribution of wealth, even in such wealthy times, that maintained a financial upper class that contemporary social politics still take note of today. With the modern world awash in conversations regarding the 99% and the 1%, The Great Gatsby reminds us that this conversation, while certainly specific to today’s world, is not entirely new. Are Daisy, Tom, Jordan and even Gatsby the 1920s historical parallels of Occupy Wall Street’s 1%?

The revision of American personal and cultural identity revealed the American Dream as a slightly more complex construction in which success in the capitalist sphere was not enough to open every societal door, and this failure of the American Dream to live up to its utopian promises required a new vision to fit a new America. The Dream and the mentality of American youth changed, taking on additional layers that included fulfillment, acceptance, and happiness as separate goals, no less important than material wealth, but no longer necessarily obtainable with it simultaneously. The Dream was re-forged with a streak of pragmatism and disillusionment: it became a motivational tool – something to be dreamed of and worked toward with the newfound knowledge that money, while it has its benefits, isn’t everything. -written by Katherine Monberg, Artistic Intern

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NEW YORK IN THE 1920sIn the 1920s, New York City was the prime example of the new, urban center of culture, creativity, industry, and wealth that the Roaring Twenties so cherished. Home to nearly 6 million people, it was a center of commerce and manufacturing. The 1920s saw New York’s first troubles with traffic, as the city’s infrastructure panicked to keep up with the huge influx of motor vehicles brought about by the sudden affordability provided by the mass manufacturing of automobiles.

New York also represented the destination of 200,000 African Americans leaving southern states to find jobs and homes in the North, particularly in Harlem, where the Harlem Renaissance was in full swing developing into a

By 1918, half of the cars in the U.S. were the Ford Model T. Sales skyrocketed in the early 1920s as a result of mass manufacturing and subsequent affordability.

“I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women and machines gives to the restless eye. I like to walk up Fifth Avenue and pick out romantic women from the crowd and imagine that in a few minutes I was going to enter their lives, and no one would ever know or disapprove…At the enchanted metropolitan twilight I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others—poor young clerks who loitered in front of windows waiting until it was time for a solitary restaurant dinner—young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life.” –F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

In addition to the already vibrant culture of New York massive immigrant population streamed into the city. Though immigration began to meet serious restrictions in the 1920s, immigrants provided much of the labor force that enabled New England’s booming industry to thrive. New York City itself consisted of many neighborhoods split along ethnic lines as recent immigrants tended to group together in communities of familiar language and culture.

nexus of African American art, music, and culture. As a center of emerging music, namely jazz and the blues, Harlem lured many great musicians of the day to New York including Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and Duke Ellington.

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Costume rendering for male characters by David K. Mickelsen, costume designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby

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There were approximately 32,000 speakeasies operating in New York in the 1920s: establishments that arranged the illegal sale of alcohol under Prohibition (1920-1933). These speakeasies competed for the best available musicians, contributing to the construction of New York as a center of entertainment. New York also boasted a thriving Yiddish theatre scene on the Lower East Side and Broadway was already well populated with theatres in the 1920s. New York City was also known as Tin Pan Alley, the colloquial term for the birthplace of pop music – a phrase originally

Manhattan, New York City, in the early 1930s.

Men standing in a warehouse of confiscated alcohol during Prohibition.

Sheet music from the 1920s that pokes fun at women taking on traditionally masculine appearance and tasks as fashions and the job market changed.

referring to a building on 28th Street where music publishers of popular music and show tunes of the day had their offices. 1920s New York was a hub of progress, of wealth, of work, opportunity, and music, the promise of success and a good time drawing masses of Americans to partake in its flashy world of entertainment and adventure, forming the basis of the Big Apple’s charm – now emphasized in neon lights – that we still go to catch a glimpse of nearly a century later. -written by Katherine Monberg, Artistic Intern

WOMEN IN 1920s AMERICA“All right...I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool — that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” – Daisy, on her daughter in The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby takes place during a period of significant social change for women in the United States. The first decade of the 20th century had been a formative one for U.S. women. In the vibrant chaos of the Industrial Revolution, women began working outside the home in large numbers for the first time. However, lower class women often worked in low-paying factory jobs, were often banned from participating in union activities and, of course, were not allowed to vote. However, World War I had a significant impact on women’s lives and opportunities. During the war many women were called on to perform work outside of their traditional gender role that had once been deemed inappropriate. Despite losing their wartime

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employment to men returning from the war, many women activists used the advances made during the war to push the issue of post-war suffrage. Through street rallies, parades, and alliances with labor unions, celebrities, and wealthy donors, they advertised the women’s suffrage movement and began to collect the political power to pass the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The Amendment was adopted in 1920, finally giving United States women the right to vote.

“Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply—I was casually sorry, and then I forgot.” – Nick, The Great Gatsby

This newfound right along with the economic boom of the 1920s paved the way for changes in education, the workplace, politics, and the home and family. The number of women earning college degrees increased every year during the 1920s. Additionally, colleges and universities began integrating men with women. However, some people still maintained conservative attitudes about women in education. For example, many male students opposed mainstreaming and behaved resentfully to the incoming women. Furthermore, society expected women to study subjects such as home economics and many female students only attended college in hopes of finding a respectable husband. Despite these limitations, these changes in opportunities marked a time when attitudes toward women began to shift and activists laid the foundation for future reform. The successful economy of the twenties opened up new

Jeanette Rankin of Montana, the first woman elected to U.S. Congress in 1916.

A Victorian postcard advocating for birth control, depicting a woman being attacked by a stork bearing an infant

white-collar opportunities for women in the workplace, as secretaries, typists, and store clerks. Those with college educations could work as librarians, nurses, and teachers. Although the employment rate for women increased in the twenties, employers kept their salaries below those of their male counterparts and few businesses were willing to promote women to management positions. The prevailing attitude was that married women should not work outside the home, and as a result, mostly singer women were hired.

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A Timeline of Important Events for Women’s Rights From 1900-1925*

1900 By now, every state has passed legislation modeled after New York’s Married Women’s Property Act (1848), granting married women some control over their property and earnings.

1904 Helen Keller graduates from Radcliffe College (In 1904, women made up 2.8% of the college population).

1916 Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first American woman elected to the United States Congress.

1916 Margaret Sanger tests the validity of New York’s anti- contraception law by establishing a clinic in Brooklyn. The most well-known of birth control advocates, she is one of hundreds arrested over a 40-year period for working to establish women’s right to control their own bodies.

1917 Jeannette Rankin of Montana is the first woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

1920 The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified. It declares: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

1921 Margaret Sanger founds the American Birth Control League.

1923 National Woman’s Party proposes Constitutional amendment: “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and in every place subject to its jurisdiction. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

1925 Nellie Tayloe Ross (Wyoming) and Miriam A. Ferguson (Texas) became the first female governors in the United States.

-*reprinted with permission from Cleveland Play House’s Play Guide for Daddy Long Legs

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The Great Gatsby


Women in Politics

The triumph of suffrage led feminists to broaden their agenda, but lacking the unified zeal that secured them the right to vote, women’s roles in politics remained minimal and progress was slow. Many women's lobbyist organizations formed and pursued legislation in public health, education, prison reform, and working women’s rights, but male politicians frequently sidelined these so-called “women’s bills.” In 1923, The National Women's Party (NWP) proposed the Equal Rights Amendment that would illegalize discrimination against women. Unfortunately the ERA was not passed. Despite their exclusion from national politics, an increasing number of women began to occupy locally elected offices, primarily on school boards or as superintendents since they were considered experts on child development. Several women also became members of state legislatures.

"The faces of most American women over thirty are relief maps of petulant and bewildered unhappiness.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

Women, Families, and the Home

The prosperity of the twenties made domestic appliances both more affordable and widely available. Access to electrically-run domestic appliances such as the washing machine, the refrigerator, the vacuum cleaner, and the iron greatly simplified household labor. Technological innovations such as processed food and store-bought clothes also served to liberate the homemaker. Additionally, the availability of birth-control options such as the diaphragm enabled women to make choices about their health and avoid a lifestyle of incessant pregnancy and childbearing if they so desired. Flappers seated on an automobile

Flappers

As the political climate in the U.S. was changing and women began to assert their independence, fashion responded accordingly. Women in the 1920s used fashion to make a social statement. The "flapper" style embodied women’s freedom of expression and rebelled against the older generation’s restrictive lifestyle. Flappers rejected bustles and corsets and chose instead colorful, revealing dresses that exposed both arms and legs. These new dresses were straight and loose with a dropped waistline to the hips. Flapper outfits were well coordinated with matching hats, shoes, purses, stockings and jewelry. The boyish chin-length bob dominated as the hairstyle of choice, drastically different from earlier eras insistence on “more feminine” long hair. In the twenties, flappers made makeup more socially acceptable for regular women, despite its prior association with prostitution. Highly publicized flappers drank alcohol with men at speakeasies, smoked in public, and generally defied society’s expectations of “lady-like” behavior.

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The Great Gatsby


“I think a woman gets more happiness out of being gay, light-hearted, unconventional, mistress of her own fate.... I want [my daughter] to be a flapper, because flappers are brave and gay and beautiful.” –Zelda Fitzgerald

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Although some traditional women embraced certain aspects of flapper style, and the antics of some flappers became well known, statistics suggest that the average woman of the twenties did not engage in the activities that the media projected. The flapper was more of a symbol than a widespread reality. The majority of flappers were young, urban, middle-class women, which only represented a fraction of the female population. In fact, a great deal of women only experienced minor changes in the twenties and many of them were outraged by the image of the flapper in media. Old values and attitudes still permeated in many parts of the United States in the twenties. The 1920s flapper brought about an altered public portrayal of women. In greater numbers women were attending college and entering the workforce. Despite these expanded opportunities, marriage was highly encouraged and still considered the highest achievement possible for women. Although suffrage did not produce the immediate results that its proponents had anticipated, the progress of the 1920s awakened many women and laid the groundwork for future equal rights movements. -written by Shannon Rzucidlo, Education Intern

Costume rendering for Myrtle by David K. Mickelsen, costume designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby

TIMELINE OF EVENTSThe Great Gatsby takes place in 1922. The years leading up to this were full of interesting inventions and innovations as well as encompassing the years of World War I. The events and characters of the novel and play are influenced by all that was going on in the world around them. The following is a timeline of events in the years leading up to the events of The Great Gatsby, followed by a more specific timeline for the year 1922.

The Great Gatsby


*The Early Twentieth Century

1915 The Ford Motor Company’s Michigan Assembly line produces over 500,000 Model Ts. Selling at only $440 each, they have become the most popular auto of the day. TIM

ELINE Alexander Graham Bell made

the first transcontinental phone call in 1915.

1919 and 1920 saw the enactment of the 18th and 19th Amendments to the Constitution which launched Prohibition and granted women the right to vote, respectively.

Jan 25, 1915 The first transcontinental telephone call is made by Alexander Graham Bell to Thomas A. Watson spanning the distance between New York and San Francisco.

April 6, 1917 The United States joins the Allies and declares war on Germany.

May 18, 1917 The Selective Services Act is passed allowing for provisions for the United States to raise an army for the purpose of fighting in WWI. It was followed by the Conscription Act which activated the draft for the war.

1918 The Post Office offers regular airmail service for the first time from New York to Washington D.C. at the cost of 24 cents a stamp.

1918 Americans rename sauerkraut “liberty cabbage” and German toast “French toast” due to wartime animosity for the Germans.

March, 1918 The Spanish Flu, caused by influenza type A, H1N1, originates in Camp Funston, Kansas and would be brought by U.S. soldiers to Europe during the war. The Spanish Flu would spread to become one of the greatest pandemics in human history killing an estimated 550,000 in the United States alone.

Nov 2, 1918 The most deadly subway accident in New York’s history kills 97 and injures 100. The subway was understaffed due to a strike organized by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and supervisors took the place of the usual operators. At that time the subway cars were made of wood and could not withstand the collision, which occurred when a train jumped the tracks approaching Prospect Park station while travelling at the unsafe speed of 30 mph.

Jan 16, 1919 Nevada becomes the 36th state to ratify the 18th Amendment establishing Prohibition, which would last until the passage of the 21st Amendment in 1933. Outlawing alcohol would ignite a flourishing market for bootleggers, speakeasies, and organized crime.

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June 28, 1919 The Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending the First World War.

1920 The Good Humor Bar is introduced. Customers went wild for the taste of this chocolate covered ice cream treat on a stick.

1920 U.S. food prices fall 72% over the next two years causing devastating losses for farmers and food sellers.

1920 Countless unwitting investors are victimized by “The Ponzi Scheme.” Financial wizard Charles Charles Ponzi

Iconic baseball player George Herman “Babe” Ruth

Ponzi made the incredible claim that he could offer a 50% return on investments in the first forty-five days and a 100% return after ninety. He claimed to be using the investments to purchase reply coupons in Spain for a penny and then reselling them for six cents. He was exposed as a fraud and investors lost an average of 88% of their initial investment. Ponzi received a three and a half year sentence and his name has become synonymous with pyramid schemes and scams.

1920 The Harlem Renaissance flourishes bringing new African American artists into recognition and popularity.

1920 Babe Ruth joins the New York Yankees. In his first year he hit 54 home runs and set a new Major League record for his slugging average.

1920 The Ford Model T, which had been wildly popular since it entered the auto market in 1908, now offers a battery starter as an optional upgrade.

Jan 10, 1920 The League of Nations holds its first meeting to formally ratify the Treaty of Versailles. The United States Senate votes against joining the League of Nations.

Aug 18, 1920 The 19th Amendment is passed, granting women the right to vote. No longer quiet companions, women begin to take active roles in the democratic process. Male politicians begin to have to adjust to a vastly different population of voters.

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Nov, 1920 Republican Warren G. Harding is elected president in a landslide election.

1921 Congress passes the Emergency Immigration Act of 1921 greatly limiting European immigration. Anti-immigrant sentiments had been high due to the war and a spike in unemployment. Under the provisions of this act, a quota system is developed to limit the amount of new immigrants from a foreign country to three percent of the current number of residents in the U.S. from that country according to the previous census.

1921 Chanel No. 5 is introduced and quickly becomes the world’s leading perfume. It is unique in that it is a non-floral scent unlike any other on the market.

1921 Edith Wharton’s novel, The Age of Innocence, is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She writes about a young bachelor, Newland Archer, whose engagement is threatened when he becomes close with Countess Ellen Olenska, a divorcee and the subject of intense gossip among the elite social circles of New York.

Margaret Gorman wins the first early version of the Miss America Pageant

1921 The Arrow shirt enters clothing stores as a response to the growing demand for shirts with non-detachable collars.

1921 U.S. cigarette consumption reaches 43 billion, despite the fact that 14 states have made them illegal and additional bills to outlaw them are pending in twenty-eight other states.

1921 The Inter-City Beauty contest, which would later grow into the Miss America Pageant, is held for the first time in Atlantic City. Young women are evaluated by a panel of judges who score them on both appearance and personality. The contest was followed by the Bather’s Revue, a bathing-suit competition. Sixteen-year-old Margaret Gorman swept the competition and walked away with both the Inter-City Beauty prize and the Golden Mermaid Trophy for the bathing suit contest.

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**1922 (the year in which The Great Gatsby takes place)

January 11 First successful insulin treatment of diabetes.January 13 Flu epidemic claims 804 victims in Britain.January 24 Christian K. Nelson patents the Eskimo Pie.January 29 Union of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras

and El Salvador dissolves.February 2 James Joyce publishes Ulysses (novel) in Paris

on his 40th birthday.February 5 DeWitt and Lila Wallace publish the first

issue of Reader’s Digest.February 8 President Warren G. Harding introduces the

first radio in the White House.February 27 The Supreme Court of the United States

rebuffs a challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which had extended voting rights to women two years earlier.

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March 11 Mohandas Gandhi is arrested in Bombay for sedition (incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority).

March 18 In India, Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for sedition (he would serve only 2 years).

President Warren Harding speaks at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial

April 13 State of Massachusetts opens all public offices to women.

May 30 In Washington, D.C., the Lincoln Memorial is dedicated.

June 28 The Irish Civil War begins.August 22 General Michael Collins, President of

the Irish Provisional Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Provisional Army, is assassinated.

August 23 Revolt against the Spanish in Morocco.September 13 – 15 Fire, probably started by Turkish

troops, destroys most of Smyrna. Death toll estimated 100,000.September 18 Hungary joins the League of Nations.October 28 In Italy, with the March on Rome, fascism obtains power and Benito

Mussolini becomes Prime Minister.October 31 Benito Mussolini becomes the youngest Premier in the history of Italy.November 1 Ottoman Empire is abolished.

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November 4 In Egypt, British archaeologist Howard Carter and his men find the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

November 14 The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) begins radio service in the U.K.

November 21 Rebecca Felton of Georgia takes the oath of office, becoming the first female United States Senator.

November 26 Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first people to enter the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamen in over 3000 years.

December 6 The Irish Free State comes into existence.December 14 Gabriel Narutowicz, the President of Poland, is

assassinated.December 30 Russia and allied Soviet republics form the union

of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

*By Christopher Pankratz, Dramaturgical Intern **By Karen Piemme Altree, from San Jose Repertory Theatre’s Study Guide for Enchanted April; reprinted with permission

Howard Carter and others at the doors of burial shrines in Tutankhamen’s tomb (in 1923)

Stephen Wrentmore, ATC Associate Artistic Director and director of The Great Gatsby

DIRECTING GATSBYThe Great Gatsby director Stephen Wrentmore and Literary Manager Jenny Bazzell chatted about the upcoming production after casting had been completed and just before rehearsals began. Read on to find out about the artistic vision behind bringing The Great Gatsby to the stage as well as what to expect from ATC’s production. Jenny Bazzell: You’re finished casting The Great Gatsby. These are iconic characters – what did you look for in your Gatsby, Nick, Daisy and Tom?

Stephen Wrentmore: The first thing is that as I’ve

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discussed The Great Gatsby with people who’ve grown up with this book it’s immediately clear that everyone has a different image of every one of those characters in their head. So, with casting, it has to be a solution that’s both true to the book and true to the adaptation that Simon Levy has written. It’s very clear that there’s no one casting that is going to

The Great Gatsby


please absolutely every audience member. Levy has had to take some dramatic liberties with the novel in order to adapt it, because predominantly the novel is written from a single person narrative from the point of view of Nick Carraway. As a result, we know more about Nick than any of the other characters in the book. But that isn’t how drama works. As a director I find this very liberating because it allows me to explore casting from the standpoint of what is necessary to tell the story as the writer of the play intended and in a way that is most effective for our audiences in Arizona. The final thing is that I’m trying to make

During Prohibition, hooch hounds were trained to sniff out alcohol – like the flask in the man’s pocket that this hound has found.

Costume rendering for Tom by David K. Mickelsen, costume designer for ATC’s The Great Gatsby

an ensemble piece of theatre which means that I’m casting an ensemble as well as casting individual characters. That means people are cast because of their physical similarity and dissimilarity and their vocal similarity and dissimilarity, as well as my instinct about them as actors and company members. As a result, I have a cast of dazzling beauty and talent. Also, making theatre is a collective experience; the ideal is we all arrive together in a room, fall in love, become a family, make an extraordinary piece of art and then in three months time, disband. I believe I’ve got a very exciting group of individuals for this rehearsal room.

JB: There is something very grandiose about the setting of The Great Gatsby, at least in terms of Gatsby’s mansion. And yet, there are also multiple locations that need to be theatrically created to tell the whole story (i.e. Nick’s house, Tom and Daisy’s house, the New York apartment, the humble gas station, etc.) How do you think you’ll work with your scenic designer to bring all of these various locales to life?

SW: The fundamental thing for me is that Gatsby’s world is an illusion. It is inherently theatrical. Everything he has created and does is a performance designed to seduce Daisy. So everything in Gatsby’s world is, in a sense, artifice. Therefore, it gives itself naturally to the stage in a way that many novels don’t. Already present is a level of illusion and metaphor not usually seen. And it’s set in a period of history that is visually fundamentally theatrical. The conversations with the scenic designer are also about how we create a sense of pace within the show. The last thing that we want to do is wheel in a big set and then wheel it out when the scene is done and have the audience wait. So the world coalesces around emblematic moments in the novel or script which support the storytelling rather than exist in the glory of their own being.

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The Great Gatsby


JB: The Jazz Age is a fascinating historical period, full of all kinds of societal shifts in relationship to women, society and war. How do you see these issues being raised in the play?

SW: They are an inherent undercurrent in the play but they are also made manifest in Nick’s observations. What I find fascinating in Gatsby is that he’s the societal opposite of a character we know well – Willy Loman [from Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman]. This idea of the American Dream which centers around monetary achievement is explored and debunked by Nick Carraway. What’s exciting to me about these characters is that we see an echelon of power players in society, in Europe and in America (and particularly in New York), in a sense, these are the 1%, exploring a new form of nihilism in response to the First World War. The idea of people asking “What’s good for me?” overtaking “What’s good for us?” And because death has become an inherent part of life in a way that no generation before or after has ever seen

The script of The Great Gatsby by Simon Levy on designer Yoon Bae’s workspace.

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(because of the number of people who died in the First World War), the idea of what it means to be alive is explored in this story. So the theatricality of the Jazz Age as well as the creation of jazz as a musical style which is happening in the basements, the speakeasies and the illegal liquor parlors of New York, physicalize the metaphor of above and below the surface which is very helpful.

JB: It does occur to me listening to you that The Great Gatsby isn’t like Shakespeare, where you can move the action of the play to another era and it still works. You can’t really move the story of The Great Gatsby to any other time or place.

SW: Why would you bother? What would you be trying to say? As a director, I believe you can say more about where we are now as a society by leaving The Great Gatsby in period. You’re still commenting on this economic downturn that we’ve just experienced and the parallels of our lives now to the First World War. But this world of economic excess juxtaposed against those with less. That’s what’s interesting - that Carraway is not a wealthy man, but he has access to the excessive wealth in a way that is tempting but also disgusting. It’s similar to the way Faust learns too late from Mephistopheles that the grass is not greener. It’s interesting that you don’t really see moments of happiness with Gatsby, a man who has achieved more than Croesus. People think that if they won the lottery, they’d be happy, that their problems are solved, but that’s basically what Gatsby’s done and he’s not. There’s an inherently moral message in this which I find very compelling and universal. This is not an American story, it’s a universal narrative. From the book we get the feeling of a country at a crossroads, and a sense of a culture finding its feet. And the twenties were an extraordinary period. The moral frameworks that had been set up in the previous hundred years were being tested. It’s during this era that we get the Rockefellers and the oil barons and America becomes the powerhouse and the center of invention. It’s the great moment in American history in all the possibilities and all these moments of potential. And this play captures all these ideas.

The Great Gatsby


JB: This adaptation of The Great Gatsby by Simon Levy (the only adaptation authorized by the F. Scott Fitzgerald estate) makes use of nine actors. What are the challenges and benefits inherent in that cast size?

SW: The first is that it requires the production team (everybody, including the actors, director, all the designers and technical teams) to be inventive to create a sense of New York society with a limited number of bodies. But it also allows us to capture the idea of New York society with three or four characters we know really well, as opposed to many characters we don’t. Just like, for example, in Shakespeare’s Henry V, he doesn’t try to represent the entire English army when he talks about the forces that beat the French at Agincourt. He introduces us to a couple of rogues like Pistol and Falstaff and then the king himself walks through the camp at night meeting random cloaked and nameless soldiers. It’s an age old theatrical tradition that allows us to concentrate on a single narrative and the characters who tell it. What nine actors demands is the development of an ensemble rather than leading actor, leading actress and conventions that we would more traditionally see in the cinema. And this idea is very tethered to my idea of The Great Gatsby being a fast-moving story that shifts scenes quickly and that the characters are chameleon within that.

JB: The Great Gatsby is a quintessentially American story – dealing with ideas of the class structure of America, and ideas like The American Dream. Having been born and raised in Britain, did these themes still resonate immediately with you? What themes in the play particularly speak to you?

SW: The biggest thing for me is that this isn’t a novel I grew up with as a kid. So what I’ve done is approach it objectively and as an outsider. Approaching it as an artist without having a history tied to the story means I wasn’t polluted with anything I was taught or know. I’m approaching it directly from the material in front of me. So I’m not trying to produce my Gatsby. Therefore for me as an artist, the quest is to create the most compelling, exciting and precise interpretation of this play rather than an idealized remembrance of what I knew as a youth. Furthermore, because everybody I have spoken to has an idea of what Gatsby is, I know it’s impossible to satisfy that desire in everybody. Instead, what I have to do is explore a way to make this story vital and important to our times while still leaving it rooted in the period. What that story means to different people is the question the audience should have when they leave the theatre. What I’d like is that the play should take people back to when they first read it. If you read The Great Gatsby as a freshman in high school and you looked at it through freshman eyes, what’s interesting to me is for you to think about questions like how has the story changed for you since you first visited it. What experiences have changed you and how has Gatsby affected you throughout your life? And since no work of art is inherently an answer but merely the playground for more questions, whilst one could waste one’s time trying to create a definitive Gatsby, I believe it’s far more interesting to allow that Gatsby, whoever he may be, to remain in the minds of the audience.

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The Great Gatsby


A view of the valley of ashes, where George and Myrtle Wilson live.

SYMBOLISM IN THE GREAT GATSBYSYM

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Dr. T. J. Eckleburg: Fitzgerald describes the billboard advertisement for the oculist thus: “But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.” Scholars often note that observation is an important theme which runs through The Great Gatsby. Nick’s role as narrator and observer of all of the other characters presents him in a position of watching over everything that happens that fateful summer. Similarly, Gatsby is an observer at his parties, not truly taking part, but watching over the festivities from a detached vantage point, rather than engaging in the drinking and socializing in which his guests participate. Finally, theorists often liken the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg to the eyes of God in that the gigantic eyes are taking in all around them, perhaps silently judging the going-on that pass (including the car accident late in the book). However, the state of the eyes as described by Fitzgerald leads the reader to question Fitzgerald’s intention in that the billboard seems to be long forgotten and irrelevant, no longer an actual useful advertisement. Perhaps Fitzgerald implies that whoever should be watching is no longer interested.

“It is sadder to find the past again and find it inadequate to the present than it is to have it elude you and remain forever a harmonious conception of memory.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

The valley of ashes: The valley of ashes was a real place known as the Corona Ash Dump during Fitzgerald’s lifetime. It literally was a burning site for disposal of trash. Fitzgerald describes it in the novel: “This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens, where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud which screens their obscure operations from your sight.” The desolation and isolation of the spot bleakly described by Fitzgerald corresponds with the lack of warmth and respect in the relationship of the inhabitants George and Myrtle. The valley of ashes is

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also a no-man’s land between the glitz and glamour that is New York City and the parties and revelry of Gatsby’s mansion. It is a divider between the two things and also the route to get from one to the other. Additionally, in the dusty, forgotten valley of ashes the car accident happens that wipes away the one energetic component of the area. In reality, in the late 1930s, in preparation for the World’s Fair in New York in 1939, city leaders had the area turned into a public park dubbed Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which exists to this day.

“My idea is always to reach my generation. The wise writer writes for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward.”— F. Scott Fitzgerald

East/West Egg divide: The fictitious locations of East and West Egg are representative of real places on Long Island at the time, but Fitzgerald created pseudonyms for them. Most likely Fitzgerald based West Egg on Great Neck, where he lived at one point, and East Egg on Manhasset Neck. In the novel, Nick describes the area thus: “It was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America. It was on that slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York—and where there are, among other natural curiosities, two unusual formations of land. Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay, just out into the most domesticated body of salt water in the Western hemisphere, the great wet barnyard of Long Island Sound. They are not perfect ovals, —like the egg in the Columbus story, they are both crushed flat at the contact end—but their physical resemblance must

Actor Remi Sandri who plays the characters of Meyer Wolfsheim and Mr. McKee in ATC’s production of The Great Gatsby.

be a source of perpetual confusion to the gulls that fly overhead.” Nick makes clear that the two are exactly the same in natural configuration, but it is human beings that have differentiated the two through their association with old and new money. For instance, Nick says, “I live at West Egg, the –well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them.” While nature did nothing to designate one as superior to the other, people understand that it is preferable to live on East Egg because it has longer been associated with wealth and social status. Nick clarifies, “Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water…” The bay serves as an imaginary dividing line that is all but impossible to cross. No matter how much money members of the nouveau riche on West Egg acquires, they will not be good enough to cross the water and live on East Egg, merely because they are not “old money”. The divides between the two societies are clearly indicated by the geographical distinctions between the two locations and the inhabitants therein who are accepted socially.

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“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Color: In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald utilizes colors throughout the novel in very precise ways.

White:• This color appears regularly throughout the novel, which logically as well as symbolically makes sense as white and soft colors are common to the color palate of summer wear (as opposed to darker, heavier colors for winter). Fitzgerald often uses white in association with the female characters’ clothing. Throughout the novel, Daisy and Jordan often appear in white dresses as they lounge during their listless days. Ironically, the women are both of dubious moral character and Fitzgerald seems to cloak them in white perhaps to “cover up” or distract from their indiscretions. However, Fitzgerald also links his male characters with white when they are trying to put their ‘best foot forward.’ Nick wears his “white flannels” the first time he attends one of Gatsby’s parties and Gatsby wears white when he reunites with Daisy for the first time. White has historically been a symbol of innocence, purity and virginity. Fitzgerald’s implication is fascinating in that the reunion between Gatsby and Daisy reignites their love, which could be said to have a purity of focus; however, any relationship between them must be adulterous. Green:• Fitzgerald’s use of the green light at the end of the dock which entrances Gatsby and draws him toward Daisy vividly symbolizes life and growth. Green is the color of spring, romance and awakenings, or in this instance, re-awakenings. The vitality and strength of Gatsby’s desire and the perfection with which he imagines Daisy (a flower – also associated with greenery) allows for the symbolic green light to haunt the reader’s imagination.Yellow:• The three major appearances of yellow in the novel take the form of the house in which George and Myrtle live, the glasses of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg and the “death car.” The implication of using this color in this fashion is that there is something corrupt about the color yellow. Additionally, all three of these yellow images come together at the scene of the fatal car accident, in that the yellow car runs over its victim outside of the yellow home/gas station under the yellow spectacles of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. Fitzgerald’s imaginative use of yellow in lieu of the more obvious red or black speaks to his inventiveness as an author.Pink:• Gatsby appearing in a pink suit strikes a chord with many modern readers of the novel. A pink suit is an untraditional choice for a modern man. Tom comments on his suit indicating that he cannot be an Oxford man because of the color of the suit, seemingly stating that the color is not something that a man of class would choose. Gatsby attempts to fit in with the wealthy elite but his mistaken outfit choice signifies his status as nouveau riche. The pink suit, along with his over-the-top mansion and use of the endearment “old sport” all work together to portray Gatsby as trying too hard to fit into a world in which he does not truly belong.

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The Great Gatsby


GLOSSARYTerms to Know

Anon: Soon, shortly.

Atonement: To make up for a wrong-doing or sin.

Bond man: Nick Carraway has moved to New York to become a bond man; that is, an investment broker who sells stocks and bonds. In the early twenties the stock market was booming and this would have appeared as a lucrative opportunity.

Brute: A savage, violent, or unreasonable person.

Communicative: Ready to talk or provide information; relating to the exchange of information.

Cynical: Doubtful or distrustful of others’ motivations; bitter or pessimistic.

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Designer Yoon Bae’s workspace while on designing The Great Gatsby

Flapper with bootlegs, a term describing boots in which flasks of alcohol could be concealed, from which the term bootlegger is derived, meaning a facilitator of illegal alcohol trade.

Decrepit: Old, worn out, dilapidated.

Denizen: Inhabitant of a particular place. Desolate: To be dismally empty.

The term “bootlegger” was widely used in the 1920s to refer to someone who made or sold illegal alcohol, but the term actually dates back to 1889 referring to boots in which a flask could be secretly stored.

Did You Know?

Divan: A long, low sofa without a back or arms.

Ether: An inhaled general anesthetic (something that makes an individual unconscious for surgery).

Exhilarated: Very happy; elated.

Exulting: To express excitement or happiness over a success.

The Great Gatsby


Gorgeous: Attractive or pleasant.

Hulking: Overly large or clumsy.

Hydroplane: A floatplane, which is an aircraft that can take off and land on water.

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Cunard and White Star Lines were both British shipping lines. The White Star Line is infamous for having owned the Titanic, which sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic in 1912.

Did You Know?

Incessantly: Endlessly.

Ingratiate: To make yourself well-liked through flattery.

Jonquils: A type of daffodil flower.

Liaison: An illicit meeting; often a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Menagerie: A collection of wild animals, or any collection that is strange or different.

Midas: The mythical greedy ancient king who turned whatever he touched into gold.

Morbid: Disturbing or unpleasant, especially when it relates to death.

Nordic: Relating to or coming from Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, or the Faroe Islands.

The world’s first hydroplane (1910)

From A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a representation of King Midas turning his daughter to gold.

The Great Gatsby


Scholars of The Great Gatsby believe that Fitzgerald based his character Meyer Wolfshiem on real-life gangster Arnold Rothstein (1882-1928). Rothstein was closely associated with a securities fraud called the Fuller-McGee Case in 1922, which might explain part of the source of Gatsby’s wealth. It is interesting to note that Fuller of the Fuller-McGee Case was a resident of Great Neck, Long Island. Wolfshiem's real-life mirror was involved in LOTS of different illegal activities, as, though sources vary in their estimation of his role in the actual fixing of the World Series of 1919, he certainly profited from the illegal activity, among various other illegal enterprises. He was murdered on November 5, 1928, reportedly for refusing to pay a gambling debt for a game he claimed was rigged.

Did You Know?

Orgastic: A term coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby, it is most likely a cross between “orgiastic” and “orgasmic.”

Pomp & Circumstance: Splendid celebration, often the subject of a lot of fuss.

Rajah: An Indian king or prince.

Refresher: A refill of a drink.

Renunciation: A rejection of a belief, claim, or action.

Retracted: To take back a statement, usually because it was untrue or unjustified.

Sauterne: A sweet, golden dessert wine.

Scorn: To feel as if something or someone is worthless or repelling.

Spirit of Ammonia: These smelling salts are a combination of ammonium carbonate and perfume. These are sniffed in order to stimulate consciousness, namely to relieve faintness. Daisy is given spirits of ammonia the day before her wedding.

Submerged: Underwater.

Unaffected: Feeling no effects or changes.

Vitality: The state of being strong or energetic.

Vulnerable: Exposed to physical and emotional harm.

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The Great Gatsby


Many scholars of The Great Gatsby believe that Fitzgerald created the name of Gatsby’s mentor, Dan Cody, by combining the names of Daniel Boone (left) and Buffalo Bill Cody (right), both significant figures in Old West history and mythology.

Did You Know?

World War I References Allied: Also known as the Entente Powers, the Allied forces included the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and eventually Italy, Japan, the United States, and several smaller countries. The Allies fought against the Central Powers.

Argonne Forest: A mountainous forest in northeastern France where the Meuse-Argonne Offensive took place. This battle was the largest American operation of WWI, involving over 1,000,000 soldiers. This battle was the final campaign in the American effort and it led to the Allied victory.

The book mentioned in The Great Gatsby by Tom, The Rise of the Colored Empire by a fictitious author named Goddard, is a reference to a real-life book and author of Fitzgerald’s era. The actual book was titled The Rising Tide of Color Against White-Supremacy by Stoddard, published in 1920. This book postulated that population growth among “colored” peoples would result in the demise of the “white” race.

Did You Know?

Kaiser Wilhelm: The last German Emperor and King of Prussia. Kaiser Wilhelm was largely responsible for WWI. The German defeat in the war marked the end of his monarchy, which was replaced by the democratic Weimar Republic.

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The Great Gatsby


Lewis Gun: This light machine gun was introduced in WWI and named after U.S. Army Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis.

Montenegro: A country located in southeastern Europe. During World War I, Montenegro sided with Serbia and the Allies. It became occupied by Austria-Hungary in 1916, was liberated in 1918, and was annexed into Serbia shortly thereafter. Gatsby claims that he was even decorated by the small country of Montenegro.

Ninth Machine Gun Battalion: A part of the Third Division during WWI that was present at Château-Thierry. Fitzgerald’s character Nick Carraway served in this group during WWI.

Seventh Infantry/Third Division: In WWI there were a total of 93 divisions, each of which had two brigades. Each brigade had two infantry regiments and one machine gun battalion. Jay Gatsby states that he was a part of the Seventh Infantry and implies that he saw Nick at Château-Thierry where their respective groups met.The character Nick was a part of the Third Division’s Ninth Machine-Gun Battalion at Château-Thierry.

Souilly: A town in northeastern France that was the headquarters of the American First Army towards the end of the war. It was from Souilly that the Meuse-Argonne Offensive was operated.

St. Mihiel Salient: St. Mihiel is another town in northeastern France. The battle of St. Mihiel Salient took place from September 12-15, 1918. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and was aimed at attacking German troops.

The trenches: A ditch in the ground that provides defensive shelter from artillery during war. World War I introduced the idea of trench warfare, in which soldiers would dig trenches, put up barbed wire and man the area with machine guns. Trench warfare was difficult psychologically and had a profound impact on many of the men who experienced

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-glossary prepared by Allison Hrabar, Education Intern and Shannon Rzucidlo, Education Intern

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

In • The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses rich images to help tell the story. In the novel the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are mentioned numerous times, and were included in the scenic design for ATC’s production. Why do you feel this detail of the novel was particularly stressed and how does your understanding of the characters and their predicaments change with the visual presence of those eyes? How do the eyes serve as a metaphor to represent something beyond their literal meaning?

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Think back to the portrayal of Gatsby’s car in ATC’s production. Did it look realistic or •artificial? What does this say about Gatsby?

Why do we never see Daisy and Tom’s baby? What does that say about these two •characters?

You hear about Gatsby at the beginning of the play but don’t then see him until much •later. What were your expectations of this character? How similar and how different were they to the actual man

Tom, Daisy, Jordan and Gatsby all seem to use Nick in some way… explain, giving •examples.

In the first scene we hear about Tom’s mistress. How is this subject dealt with? And •how did that make you feel?

Daisy says of her daughter “I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be •in this world, a beautiful little fool.” – What are your feelings on this remark? Do you think Daisy was a fool?

Tom makes some particularly bigoted remarks about race. What was happening in •America in the 1920s regarding racial equality? How does Tom reflect 1920s America?

The two worlds of East Egg and the Valley of Ashes are vastly different. How was this •shown in the creative design of this production? How do the characters act in these two different surroundings?

The play is set during Prohibition. Did this have any effect on the characters and their •relationship to alcohol?

Myrtle: “I’ve got to get a massage and a wave and one of those cute little ash trays •where you touch a spring and a wreath with a black silk bow for mother’s grave that’ll last all summer the dog Tom promised me I got to write down a list so I won’t forget all the things I got…” How does this language reflect Myrtle’s relationship with material things? Is this the same for other characters in the play?

Nick and Gatsby both fought in the war. How did this change their opinion of the •world? Is there a noticeable difference between them and the other characters as a result of this shared experience?

Gatsby – “I didn’t want you to think I was just some…nobody.” What does Gatsby •mean by this statement? What does he see as a reflection of his status?

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Daisy says at one point, “I’m giving out green tonight”. Also, the light at the end her •dock on East Egg is a green light. Why do you think the author chose this color to represent Daisy?

Nick says at the end of the play, “It eludes us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we •will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning…So we beat on. Boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” What does Nick mean by this? How is this line representative of a major theme of this story?

F. Scott Fitzgerald was never happy with the title • The Great Gatsby. Do you think this title is appropriate? What does it mean? If you could, how would you re-name the title?

The Great Gatsby• is a story told through the voice of Nick Carraway. How does this first-person narrative affect our perception of the story? Do we trust Nick’s depiction of others?

The Great Gatsby• is considered a classic American novel, yet scholars continue to argue over its meaning. Simon Levy mentions several themes including: illusion vs. reality, the pursuit of the American Dream, greed, West vs. East, love and betrayal, death, disappointment, and the need to “beat on”. What do you think Fitzgerald was trying to say? In your opinion, does Fitzgerald articulate this message well?

The Great Gatsby• is set in the 1920s, but many of the issues resonate with contemporary audiences and readers. What is it about the novel and play that still make it relevant and compelling today?

What is "The American Dream" and does it actually exist? What does material success •look like on the outside? How does it feel on the inside? Does Jay Gatsby represent the American Dream? Does The Great Gatsby embrace or satirize American ideals? Essay Questions

Literary tragedy is defined as: “A drama or literary work in which the main character is •brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.”

Using this definition, write a brief essay explaining how • The Great Gatsby is an example of a tragic piece of literature.

The Great Gatsby• is set in between world wars. Looking at the changes in American society at that time, how does this novel reflect 1920s America? Write a brief essay exploring changes in 1920s America and how that is reflected in The Great Gatsby.

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Much of the play is punctuated by jazz music. What is the origin of this style of music? •Why do you think this genre of music was chosen to underscore the action? Write an exploratory essay looking at the origins of jazz and its relevance to 1920s America, and specifically The Great Gatsby.

Simon Levy gives this stage direction in the beginning of his adapted script: “The •described stage setting is the idealized vision of the play played out against a larger-than-life mythic backdrop where spectacular production elements substitute for the lyric beauty of Fitzgerald’s descriptive prose; however, symbolism and metaphor, which are central to the novel, may be realized in many ways, and I leave it to the imagination of directors to tell the story as simply or elaborately as they choose.”

What directorial choices did you notice in this production of • The Great Gatsby that highlighted the symbolism and metaphor of the novel? Write a brief essay about the creative choices made in this production in relation to the original concept of the novel. Provide specific examples of theatrical elements—lighting, music, and scenic design—that were used to replace Fitzgerald’s elegant and descriptive prose. What aspects of the production were successful at capturing the world of Gatsby? Was there anything from the book that was not translated to the stage Theatre/Arts Activities

Think of an important event in your life and choose a symbol that could represent it. •Write a story or scripted scene about that event and incorporate your symbol using figurative language. Alternatively, compose a song, or create a painting or sculpture that contains your symbol.

Find a section from your favorite book that contains both dialogue and descriptive •language. Try to develop an adaptation of that section into a script for a play. Use theatrical elements-- lighting, music, and scenic design—to replace the descriptive prose. Present your scene to the class and discuss the challenges you encountered and justify the choices you made.

Find an example of someone who had achieved The American Dream —it can be •a fictional character, someone from pop-culture, politics, or someone you know personally. Using a shoebox you will create a visual display of that person’s life. Research your individual and on the outside of the box use pictures, documents, or articles that portray the individual’s public appearance. On the inside of the box, decorate it to display what you think that person feels on the inside.

Select a character from • The Great Gatsby with whom you least identify. In the first person - as Gatsby, Daisy, Nick, Tom, Jordan or someone else from the book – write a monologue that defends your behavior. Try to convince the audience that you are a noble human being. Present your monologue to the class and try to use your body and voice to take on attributes of your character. Discuss with your class the challenges of relating to a character and playing him/her.

The Great Gatsby


Divide the class into small groups. Each small group will select a different theme •on which to focus. Using textual evidence, each group will develop a persuasive argument that supports their selected theme. After each presentation, allow the other students to challenge the group’s position. When all groups are finished, ask the class which theme resonates with them the most.

AMERICA PLAYS! LESSON PLANSCreating Gatsby

Pre-Show LessonExploring The Great Gatsby through AMERICA PLAYS! Celebrating

Great American Stories

The following discussion guides and activities are designed to help students explore topics and themes from Simon Levy’s stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in order to gain a better understanding of the story, characters, and historical context of the novel and how these topics and themes can relate to their own lives in the present day.

Materials You Will NeedCD player & CD of jazz music (suggested: “Unforgivable Blackness” by Wynton Marsalis)copies of the novel The Great Gatsby or selected quotes (Appendix A) Character Questionnaires (Appendix B)paper and pensspace to move/have students work in small groupschalkboard or whiteboard

Day One – Pre-Show WorkshopHave students sit or stand in a circle, space permitting; if not, sitting at their desks •is fine for the introduction. Instructor(s) introduces themselves to the class and what they’re here to do.

Start with a brief explanation of what was going on in America leading up to WWI•o Still largely recovering from devastating losses in Civil War (approx 1 million, or

3% of the total US population)o Industrial Revolution leading to unprecedented economic and population growtho Changing role of women in family & societyGive information on America joining WWI (pull notes from Timeline in the Play •Guide) and tell students how many we lost (117,000 total Americans died in WWI; 16 million world total).

The Great Gatsby


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Ask students to stand up and arrange themselves into a group, girls at the back, boys •at the front, and look around the room. Explain that they represent the population of America on the eve of WWI. Ask the boys to move off to the side – they’ve just gone off to war; girls, step up – you’re taking over the workforce back home. Instructor then taps two or three boys on the shoulder and asks them to sit down. They represent the American casualties during WWI. Have students look around, reflecting on how they feel in this new situation: boys with their friends and brothers losing their lives and not returning home with them, girls with a newfound sense of responsibility and power in their society.

(Students can all sit/return to the group.) Ask students: how would you feel, if so few •of you returned from the war? If you stayed at home, how would you feel if so few returned? Boys, how did it feel returning to find the girls holding more power? Girls, same question? What would you do now? Discuss responses.

Instructor leads discussion back to aftermath of WWI in America and the “carpe diem” •attitude that was fostered by explaining that partying was the country’s collective response to the war. They decided the rules of life didn’t apply to them much any more, and they started partying, dancing, drinking – even though Prohibition was still in effect (ask if anyone knows what Prohibition was; explain when they don’t; started as a way to conserve resources for the war effort, wasn’t repealed until 1933).

Prep CD player and jazz music as you tell students that the author of • The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the person who first referred to this period as “the Jazz Age”. Introduce the music you’re about to play and let the students listen for a bit before asking them their impressions of the style, how it makes them feel, what they imagine when they hear it.

As the music plays (quietly) briefly introduce the characters of Jay Gatsby, Daisy •Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan. Tell the students that you’re going to be reading quotes from the novel that each character said about the other. Ask them to listen to these quotes and try to get an idea of these people in their heads. Read the selected quotes from The Great Gatsby (Appendix A).

Tell students that in just a minute they’re going to be working in small groups to answer •some questions about these people they now have in their minds. Divide students evenly into groups of 4 or 5 and ask them to pick someone to be the recorder for the group; make sure they have a writing utensil and ask them to sit in their groups. Assign a character to each group (Gatsby, Daisy, or Tom – try to get roughly the same number of groups assigned to each). Explain Character Questionnaire (Appendix B) as you pass it out to student groups, and ask them to spend the next 3-5 minutes filling out their answers, based on the quotes they heard from the novel.

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As students finish the Questionnaires, bring their attention back to the group and move •to the board. Ask for a few volunteers to share bits from the Questionnaires. Then move them to the final question, about the characters’ goals/dreams. Write each character’s name on the board and list student responses under each name. Lead a discussion about the responses and ask students to reflect on any common threads, why there were similar/different responses if they were all given the same quotes to start from. Try to guide students toward a consensus for each character and indicate or write that on the board. Then ask students to think of a color or an image that might represent each character’s goal/dream.

Collect the groups’ Questionnaires and ask students to return to their desks to get pen •and paper out. Once they’re settled again, ask them to spend a minute thinking about their own goals and dreams in life. Ask them to think of a color or image that could represent their goal/dream, and then write about it in three sentences. Give the students a minute to write, and then collect their responses.

Wrap up, answer any questions they may have, and remind students that we will be •revisiting these written exercises during our post-show workshop after they attend the Student Matinee of The Great Gatsby.

Restoring GatsbyPost-Show Lesson

Exploring The Great Gatsby through AMERICA PLAYS! Celebrating Great American Stories

The following discussion guides and activities are designed to help students explore topics and themes from Simon Levy’s stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in order to gain a better understanding of the story, characters, and historical context of the novel and how these topics and themes can relate to their own lives in the present day.

Materials You Will Needcopies of the novel The Great Gatsby or selected pieces of dialogue (Appendix C) space to move/have students work in small groupschalkboard or whiteboard

Day Two – Post-Show WorkshopHave the students form a circle or a group somewhere in the room for the discussion. •Get them started on a discussion of the play – start with general impressions, what they liked most, differences from the novel, but lead them to a discussion of how symbols, colors, and iconic images from the novel were used or created on stage.

Ask students to think back to the Character Questionnaires they completed during the •first workshop and rewrite the three characters (Gatsby, Daisy, Tom) on the board, along with their goal/dream.

The Great Gatsby


Ask students: did these characters get what they wanted? Why or why not? Was this •inevitable – could these characters have gotten what they wanted by changing their actions? Tell students that the show’s director saw a connection to modern society through his analogy of the 99% v the 1% - but now we’re interested in how they, the students, would connect this story to current society.

Ask students to think of current equivalents for these characters – people in the news or •popular culture/media that are today’s version of Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom. Brainstorm a list and write them on the board.

Tell students that what we’re going to do next is to retell the story of • The Great Gatsby using these modern versions of the central characters. We’re going to create a modern day Great Gatsby. But first, we need to decide which parts of the story we’re retelling. Ask them to identify key scenes from the beginning, middle, and end of the story and write them on the board (there are many “correct” answers, but we’re looking for: Nick’s first party at Gatsby’s; the Plaza Hotel scene with Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Nick, and Jordan; when Nick leaves Gatsby’s house just before Gatsby’s death). Tell students that we’ll be splitting into four groups – Beginning, Middle, Real End, and Ideal End – and they will spend a few minutes in their groups recreating these scenes, or creating a new ending in which the characters actually get what they want.

Divide students into four groups (more if needed) and assign them to Beginning, •Middle, Real End, and Ideal End by distributing paper with a line of dialogue from each scene. As you assign groups, explain that they have these pieces of paper with a line of dialogue to help them create their scenes. They need to assign themselves characters, based on our brainstormed list of contemporary Gatsbys, Daisys, and Toms, and spend 5-10 minutes rehearsing their scene. (Be sure to walk the room, checking in with each group as they work to answer questions or help guide them in their “staging” of their scene – reminding them that they can add other characters, pantomime, background action, etc. to help them tell the story of their scene. Ideal End groups may need extra help since they’re creating from scratch.)

Once groups seem to have gone through their scene at least once, ask everyone but the •Beginning group to sit where they are and give their attention to the first scene. Have each group perform for their fellow students – applaud like good audience members for each group – and then lead a discussion of this modern retelling of The Great Gatsby. What changed from the original? How were characters able to accomplish their goals/dreams in the Ideal Ending? Would that have worked in the novel?

Honing in on the changes that these new characters made in the students’ scenes in •order to get what they want, ask students to think about ways they can go after their hopes and dreams.

The Great Gatsby


Appendix ACharacter Quotes from The Great Gatsby

TOM Tom: “I know I'm not very popular. I don't give big parties. I suppose you've got to make your house into a pigsty in order to have any friends-in the modern world.”

Daisy: “A brute of a man. A big hulking specimen of a –“

Gatsby: “I don't trust him old sport.”

DAISY

Tom: “The trouble is that sometimes she gets foolish ideas in her head and doesn't know what she's doing.”

Daisy: “I've had a very bad time, Nick, and I'm pretty cynical about everything.”

Gatsby: “Her voice is full of money.”

GATSBYTom: “I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him and I wasn't far wrong.”

Daisy: “Oh you want too much! I love you now isn't that enough?”

Gatsby: “I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to me.”

Appendix BCharacter Questionnaire

1. Character’s Name: ____________________________________________________

2. Age: _____________

3. Do they have any siblings? Circle one: Yes No If yes, how many? _____________

4. Greatest achievement of their life so far: _______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

The Great Gatsby


5. His/her most embarrassing moment: _________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

6. Most prized possession: ______________________________________________________

7. Favorite food: ___________________________________________________________

8. What animal represents this character? _________________________________________

9. What color would you assign to this person? ___________________________________

10. What is this person’s greatest hope or dream? ___________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Appendix CBeginning, Middle, and End – Lines of Dialogue

BEGINNING SCENE (GATSBY’S PARTY):

“This is an unusual party for me. I haven’t seen the host.”

MIDDLE SCENE (SUITE IN THE PLAZA HOTEL):

“There’re things between Daisy and me you’ll never know, things that neither of us can ever forget.”

ENDING SCENE (THE POOL):

“I suppose Daisy’ll call too.”

The Great Gatsby


REFERENCES

References for the Play Guide include:

_ http://www.biography.com/people/f-scott-fitzgerald-9296261?page=2_ “Geniuses Togeter: Literary Expatriates in Paris.” http://www.lib.unc.edu/rbc/french_expatriates/paris.html_ http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography.html_ Bruccoli, Matthew J. “A Brief Life of Fitzgerald. The F. Scott Fitzgerald Society. http://www.fscottfitzgeraldsociety.org/biography/index.html_ http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=437_ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouveau_riche_ www.wikipedia.org_ http://www.1920-30.com/art/_ www.wikipedia.org_ http://www.1920-30.com/_ http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_6_2.html_ http://www.livingcityarchive.org/htm/decades/1920.htm_ http://library.thinkquest.org/C005846/categories/worldnews/worldn.htm_ http://www.wwnorton.com/college/music/jazz/ch/05/outline.aspx

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