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Gatsby Study Guide.Pdf MONTANA REP STUDY GUIDE / www.montanarep.org 2015 NATIONAL TOUR / THE GREAT GATSBY MONTANA REPERTORY THEATRE STUDY GUIDE by F. SCOTT Anna Dulba Barnett, M.A. Bernadette Sweeney, Ph.D. FITZGERALD’S CONTENTS: PAGE THREE SYNOPSIS PAGE FOUR THE PLAYWRIGHT CAST / CHARACTERS PAGE FIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE PAGE SIX DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Adapted for the stage by PAGE TEN SIMON LEVY WORLD WAR 1 THE ROARING TWENTIES PAGE ELEVEN NOTES ABOUT THE GREAT GATSBY 2015 NATIONAL TOUR UMARTS College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Theatre & Dance University of Montana Missoula, Montana 59812 MISSION Montana Repertory Theatre tells the great stories of our world to enlighten, develop, and celebrate the human spirit in MONTANA REP is funded in part by a an ever-expanding grant from the Montana Arts Council (an agency of state government), with support from the community. Montana State Legislature, the University of Montana, the Montana Cultural Trust, Dr. Cathy Capps, Dr. Sandy Sheppard, The Dramatist Guild, and The Shubert Foundation. PHOTO BY TERRY J. CYR PAGE 2 / MONTANA REP STUDY GUIDE / www.montanarep.org 2015 NATIONAL TOUR / THE GREAT GATSBY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S “That is part of the “beauty of literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from Adapted for the stage by anyone. You belong.” SIMON LEVY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD I think I can safely say I love The Great Gatsby. The power of the narrative, the accurate, haunting, and heartfelt snapshot of the Roaring Twenties, and the sheer beauty of the prose still take my breath away. I’ve discovered and rediscovered this masterpiece over the years with new perspective, joy, and appreciation. I first read The Great Gatsby in one thrilling afternoon on the Jersey shore during high school, and I have long dreamed of bringing the novel to the stage. Only recently has this become possible, with the publication of Simon Levy’s masterful adaptation. Although there are several movie versions of varying artistic merit, the stage offers a new, exciting, and fertile ground for the story. On the stage we can feel the energy of Jay Gatsby, the sensual allure of Daisy Buchanan, and the Everyman complexity of Nick Carraway. As Montana Rep continues telling great American stories, we approach The Great Gatsby with all the honor and care such an outstanding work of art deserves. We’re pleased to reintroduce and reinvigorate this classic, bringing the beauty and poetry of this masterpiece–– living and breathing on stage––to a new generation of theatergoers. ~ GREG JOHNSON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PAGE 3 / MONTANA REP STUDY GUIDE / www.montanarep.org 2015 NATIONAL TOUR / THE GREAT GATSBY SYNOPSIS ACT ONE: The Great Gatsby is set on Long Island, New ACT TWO: Act II opens on another big party at Gatsby’s York in the summer of 1922. Nick Carraway tells the story mansion, however, this time both Daisy and Tom are of his enigmatic neighbor Gatsby. The play does not have present. The love affair between Gatsby and Daisy is in traditional scenes but rather each sequence shifts into the full bloom. Tom becomes increasingly suspicious of the next as the stage is transformed into different locations and mysterious Gatsby’s intentions toward his wife. Daisy settings. reveals to Nick and Jordan her plan to leave her husband As the play opens, Nick introduces Gatsby as a person and run away with Gatsby. with “a gift for hope, a romantic readiness.” Nick visits The next scene is at Tom and Daisy’s house where Nick, his cousin Daisy, the wife of a wealthy man named Tom Jordan and Gatsby are all present. The atmosphere between Buchanan. While visiting, Nick also meets Jordan Baker the lovers and the suspicious husband becomes more and who is a friend of Daisy’s staying with her for the summer. more intense. Daisy tries to avoid the tension by suggesting During their conversation Nick describes the big parties they all go into the city. They take two cars, with Gatsby that Gatsby is throwing regularly at his mansion which is driving Tom’s car and Tom driving Gatsby’s car. across the bay from the Buchanan’s property. After Jordan They gather in a hot stuffy hotel room in New York. hints that Tom is cheating on his wife, Daisy opens up to Tom begins to get drunk and more aggressive toward Nick about her unhappy marriage. Gatsby. Finally, Gatsby breaks the news to Tom about his The stage then transforms to present three key scenes, romance with Daisy. In order to avoid a brewing fight, Daisy which build the narrative. The first is the auto-shop and gas storms out of the hotel and gets into Gatsby’s car. Gatsby station of Wilson and his wife Myrtle. Tom discusses buying jumps in the car as well and frantically they speed off back Wilson’s car, and it is made clear by the furtive glances to Long Island. Along the way the car passes Wilson’s auto and secret conversation while Wilson is out, that Tom and shop, where Myrtle and her husband have been fighting. Myrtle are having an affair. The second scene transforms When Myrtle sees Gatsby’s car approaching, she thinks it is the stage from Wilson’s garage to a New York apartment, Tom, because he had been driving that car earlier, and she where we see a secret party thrown by Tom and Myrtle. As rushes out in front of the car to stop Tom. Instead Gatsby’s the alcohol flows freely a dispute arises between Tom and car hits Myrtle, but doesn’t stop. Tom is following behind Myrtle and Tom strikes her. The stage then transforms a with Nick and Jordan in his car. They come upon the third time to Gatsby’s mansion where a huge party is taking accident scene and see that Myrtle is dead. place. Nick has been personally invited by Gatsby and, At Daisy’s house, Gatsby assures Daisy that he will wait while unaware of exactly who Gatsby is, Nick discusses for her to give him a sign that she is ready to run away with with Gatsby their experiences during World War I. Across him. After they say goodnight, Nick and Jordan arrive. the bay Daisy stares out from her dock and observes from Gatsby reveals to Nick that Daisy was the one that was afar the lights of Gatsby’s party. She longs to be a part of driving his car when Myrtle was killed. the nightlife of the Long Island residents, but her husband The stage transforms back into Gatsby’s mansion. Gatsby disregards her desires. reveals to Nick the true story of his life and that the Great As the action of the play progresses, Gatsby and Nick Gatsby is just an invention. He insists, however, that take a ride in Gatsby’s hydroplane. During the flight Gatsby his love for Daisy is true. Nick says goodbye and leaves. describes his life to Nick. Later over lunch Gatsby wants to Meanwhile, Wilson comes to Gatsby’s home bent on make a request of Nick but, since the matter of his appeal revenge. He brings a gun and, finding Gatsby defenselessly is so delicate, he has Jordan participate in the conversation. floating on an air mattress in the pool, shoots him and then Jordan reveals to Nick the details of a romance that once turns the gun on himself. bloomed between Gatsby and Daisy and tells him how, The play ends with Nick’s narration describing Gatsby’s while Gatsby was off fighting in World War I, Daisy married funeral. No one showed up to mourn him, not even Daisy. Tom. Now Gatsby wants Nick to help him reunite with All the crowds that had gathered at Gatsby’s mansion to Daisy. party during his life failed to gather when it was time to Nick invites Daisy to his house, where Gatsby anxiously honor him in death. Nick ends with a reflection on Gatsby’s awaits her arrival. As Gatsby and Daisy meet the old spark romantic faith in possibilities. Gatsby had picked the site of love is reignited and the lovers make new plans to for his mansion deliberately to be across the bay from the arrange a future together and “repeat the past.” green light that blinked at the end of the dock on Daisy’s property. “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—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arm farther …. So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly ceaselessly into the past.” PAGE 4 / MONTANA REP STUDY GUIDE / www.montanarep.org 2015 NATIONAL TOUR / THE GREAT GATSBY THE AUTHOR THE CHARACTERS F. SCOTT FITZGERALD FRANCIS SCOTT KEY JAY GATSBY FITZGERALD (September 24, 1896 “there was something … gorgeous about him … – December 21, 1940) is considered one some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life. of the greatest American authors of the He has an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic 20th century. He wrote four novels The readiness such as I never found in any other person” Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, and Tender Is the This is Nick Carraway’s description of Jay Gatsby at the Night. Of these, The Great Gatsby is the beginning of the play. Gatsby is a striking, mysterious and most famous. intriguing man. He reveals himself to the audience little Fitzgerald’s own ambitions and those of his wife Zelda by little, but only at the end of the play does his true story pushed him to more lucrative forms of writing such as short become known.
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