Literature To Life Casts New Actor For THE GREAT GATSBY Touring Production

Literature to Life (LTL) will introduce a new lead performer for its solo adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY, with Simon Rabatin joining the company for upcoming national touring engagements. The production has become one of LTL’s most frequently presented titles, appearing last season in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee.

Set on Long Island and in New York City during the 1920s, the story follows World War I veteran Nick Carraway as he becomes entangled in the lives of his cousin Daisy, her husband Tom, and their enigmatic neighbor Jay Gatsby. Through Nick’s perspective, the narrative examines wealth, desire, betrayal, and the cost of aspiration. Rabatin will portray multiple characters from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, emphasizing the distances each travels in pursuit of personal wants.

Rabatin’s recent credits include Tom in These Shining Lives with Poor Mouth Theatre Company and a supporting role in Aiden Cronin’s film The Birds Tell Me All There Is To Know. He holds a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and has trained with Shakespeare and Company.

The adaptation is directed by Kelvin Grullon, a Dominican American actor from Washington Heights, who previously performed as the solo artist in LTL’s stage version of Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao for eight years. Speaking about the new staging, Grullon said, “What excites me most about returning to the director's chair is the idea of rediscovery. It's a hundred-year-old text, the words on the page have not changed, and many of us know it from reading it in high school and through the film adaptations. And yet this production feels completely new because of Simon's perspective and his deep care for the material. In the auditions he took charge of the story, and his work showed a deep understanding of the world of the play. That's the coolest aspect about solo-shows for me, that the actor completely reshapes it simply by being who they are. The whole project now feels like a kind of paradox, familiar and entirely new at the same time, and I find that very exciting.”

BOOKING INFORMATION

The Great Gatsby is available for booking at schools, performance venues, libraries, community centers, and correctional facilities across the country. The title is also included in the NEA Big Read list, which supports community conversation, creative engagement, and expanded access to literature. Booking inquiries may be directed to info@literaturetolife.org or literaturetolife.org/contact.

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