What I liked
See review.
What I didn't like
The costumes might have been a little more specific to the era. After all we’ve been through in the last 17 months, so many are hoping the 2020s will be the carefree party the 1920s were. Those exuberant styles could be a great add to the production.
My overall impression
Enigmatic stories are difficult to dramatize, and enigmatic characters are even harder, but 2Cents Theatre Group accomplishes both with depth and style in this immersive production of the first chapter of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous novel. This inventive adaptation features a strong cast that includes Colin Willkie’s ferocious Tom Buchanan and Ren Montoro’s Jordan Baker, a beguiling young golfer who might be able to “balance a feather on the tip of her chin.” Live accompaniment of Michael Teoli’s score by Leslie Baker (double bass) and Paul Kriebich (vibraphone) adds essential nuance. Fans of Elevator Repair Service’s GATZ—a 10 hour re-enactment of the full novel that played at REDCAT in 2012—should also enjoy this show. The question of, “Who was Gatsby?” is one without a complete answer, but in 2Cents Theatre’s dramatization, the question echoes eloquently long after the final applause.
