by ERIKA SASSEVILLE

Kicking off their Minnesota art & artist themed 75th season, Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) has produced The Great Gatsby based on the novel by St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald adapted by Simon Levy and directed by Vanessa Brooke Agnes, playing now through October 4th at Theatre in the Round. The production takes a monumental story and finds a way to fit it not only into the famous TRP arena stage. but also into a tight almost 2 hours. The large ensemble cast and live saxophone music played by “The Saxman” (Maje Adams) help fill out the world of the play and draw the audience into prohibition-era New York. This show will be a hit for any fans of the novel, any of the film adaptations, and anyone who has ever desired to party it up in the Jazz Age.

For anyone who wasn’t assigned the novel in high school (or just didn’t do the assigned reading…) The Great Gatsby follows the Minnesota-born and decidedly middle-class Nick Carraway (Gavin Webb) as he spends the summer of 1922 in the fictional West Egg part of Long Island, New York to learn about the bond business while also visiting his immensely wealthy cousin Daisy (Nina Broberg) and her husband Tom Buchanan (John Blocher) at their home in the much more fashionable, old-money stronghold of East Egg. During his summer seeing how the other half lives, Nick is introduced to the cynical and famous Jordan Baker (Kendra Alaura) whom he begins dating, Tom’s mistress Myrtle Wilson (Sydney Lanning Payne), and eventually gains the interest and trust of his next door neighbor, the illustrious, mysterious, and titular Jay Gatsby (Jake Leif). Nick finds himself quickly folded into the lives of those around him, often witnessing events more often than participating in them, and discovers that the world of wealth in Long Island is dripping with more than pearls. Greed, hypocrisy, lust, rage, secrets, and lies surround him and turn his world upside down as tragedy strikes and he comes to realize that in New York, someone is always watching.

The entire cast works together very well to create the atmosphere of “Haves” vs. “Have nots” that is so intrinsic to the plot. Standout performances by Kendra Alaura as Jordan Baker and Sydney Lanning Payne give the audience the perfect insight to how money can make the difference for anyone, but especially for women who otherwise have to depend on men to survive in the 1920s. Wealthy and connected Jordan is able to get away with partying and messing around as a single woman on her own, and Auaura’s dry sense of humor and sharp wit are perfectly balanced for the part. Meanwhile, Myrtle Wilson is forced by circumstance to stay in an unhappy marriage to mechanic George (Ian Fee who makes the most out of his smaller role in heartbreaking fashion) while chasing the highs of being the mistress of a wealthy man who will never leave his picture-perfect marriage. Payne’s portrayal of Myrtle shows not only her desperation to leave her current low-class status, but also her contempt for the two men in her life, neither of whom can give her everything she wants in life.

John Blocher and Nina Broberg as Tom and Daisy Buchanan give us the perfect snapshot of an imperfect couple, the “It” couple where everything is not quite as happy as it seems. I give Broberg a lot of credit for her Daisy, it’s a very tough role with a lot of nuance and she did a remarkable job keeping the flighty and unhappy housewife grounded. Jake Leif as Gatsby and Gavin Webb as Nick Carraway each play their respective roles with precision. Nick is a role that mostly serves as a mirror and a chronicler for the events and lives around him, and Webb does an admirable job with his narration between scenes, keeping the show moving and imparting all the exposition an adaptation like this requires. Leif’s Gatsby is through-and-through a heartsick man yearning for the one who got away, he’s got his eye on the prize and unfortunately it blinds him to the realities of the world and the people in it. His performance is somehow both earnest and blithe, and even Gatsby’s incessant use of “Old Sport” as a sort of endearment or insult (truly an annoyance in any medium) seems as natural as anything. The cast also features Casey Lomibao, Sandi Flahn, Emily Elliot, Joseph Dinh, and Lindsey Meath in various ensemble roles.

With TRP celebrating 75 years of continuous theatre productions, now is a great time to support the arts and contribute to the continuing success of a Twin Cities institution. So, put on your sequins, bowties, fringe, and pearls and come on down to Theatre in the Round by October 4th for a grand ole time at The Great Gatsby.

Content Notice: Mature themes, including domestic violence and suicide; gunshots; simulated smoking; and water-based theatrical fog

The creative and production team includes Stage Manager Briana Roesler, Assistant Stage
Manager Syd Tempas, Set Designer Michael Haas, Lighting Designer Chad Van Kekerix, Costume Designer Emma Shook, Prop Designer Roxanne Miller, Sound Designer Tatum Evans, and Dramaturg Alex Church.

A Pay-What-You-Can performance is scheduled for Monday, September 21 at 7:30 pm. An
Audio-Described performance is scheduled for Sunday, October 4 at 2pm

Tickets: $20–29. More Info & Tickets: www.theatreintheround.org/greatgatsby. Box Office Phone: 612-333-3010. TRP’s facilities are accessible to audience members using wheelchairs; assisted listening and captioning devices are available for all performances. (email
tix@theatreintheround.org to RSVP for Audio Description).