Hilberry stages a truly great “Gatsby”
Some stories resonate so that they beg to be retold in different mediums. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby has been made into films three times and adapted for the stage by Simon Levy. That adaptation is playing now at Hilberry Theater, and it is a powerful retelling of the story.
Director Blair Anderson is fully aware of all the symbolism this story contains and he works with a production staff and acting team to make sure these symbols come across. But he’s also telling a story of love, hedonism, innocence, deceit and money. He pulls together diverse elements to make sure this story is told and layers it in such a way that audiences choosing to watch it multiple times can pull more out of it with each viewing.
The Great Gatsby is narrated by Nick Carraway (Michael Manocchio), an outsider to the New York world where Easterners with old money live their careless, sophisticated lives. He tells of—and shows—his meeting with Jay Gatsby (Santino Craven), a man who has a history with Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Devri Chism). She’s now married to Tom Buchanan (Michael Phillip Thomas), a hulking man who is arrogant in his wealth and unfaithful to his marriage.
Manocchio captures the spirit of being an outsider, given an assist by costumer John Woodland who puts him in outfits that sets him apart from the others on stage. Manocchio is our guide to this world in the Roaring 20s, barely a part of the scene but able to interpret it for us like a museum curator giving a tour. He is especially powerful in showing an understated rage, a frustration with careless people who cause tragedy in their wake and pass it by as if it were no part of themselves.
Craven shows strength in the titular role, and has an aura about him that is aided by the director’s early placement of him on stage and the lighting by Thomas Schraeder. He is almost otherworldly, a deity who pulls the strings in this world, but eventually cannot survive in the rarefied atmosphere and must come down to the messy world where everyone else lives. Craven has charisma that makes you want to like Gatsby. He’s vulnerable even as he shows power and strength.
Chism is equally strong as Daisy, creating a character who is pulled along by the men in her life, unable to take any independent action to pursue her dreams. She’ll challenge her husband, but she’ll let herself be bullied by him as well. She has the perfect look for an ingénue and pulls off the part well.
Thomas is buff and bullying as Tom, unconcerned about who he harms in his pursuit of what he wants. His Tom is driven to make his life what he wants regardless of the ethics or the harm his actions create. He comes to stand for everything that Nick despises about the world and their final encounter crackles with intensity, in part because Thomas shows surprise at Nick’s anger.
Anderson uses color-blind casting to great effect, often underlining Tom’s racism as the family friend Jordan Baker (Breayre Tender) was there hearing his Aryan/Nordic spiel from which she was excluded. It was also a moment of scene breaking when the African-American actress said, “We’re all white here.” Yet, Tender was the perfect casting for the role. She showed just the right attitude for the friend who wants to see Daisy get out of her unhappy situation. She also had just the right touch in her scenes with Manocchio, the two showing great chemistry together.
Strong performances were put in by everyone in the cast, everyone embracing the role of the 20s Prohibition where the rules simply didn’t apply to them.
Equity actors Tiffany Michelle Thompson as Myrtle Wilson and Ernest Bentley as George Wilson each had their powerful scenes, moments that were moving and underlined the hedonism of those who saw their marriage and their lives as playthings.
The projections, designed by Sarah Pearline added a lot to this production. They added verisimilitude to such scenes as the hydroplane and the automobiles. They also added effects such as rain in a realistic way that worked hand in hand with Brian Dambacher’s sound design. The production values were high and well thought out, everything contributing to the story and its symbolism.
“The Great Gatsby” is a moving production of a classic story. It’s done with care and attention to detail. It’s truly a fitting tribute to the story and one that underlines why this story deserves to be told again in this medium. Hilberry does justice to the story with actors and production staff that are committed to excellence.