American Repertory Theater's Production of GATZ Bows January 7

Diane Paulus' landmark inaugural season as Artistic Director of American Repertory Theater (the A.R.T.) continues as GATZ begins performances on Thursday, January 7, 2010.  Directed by John Collins and conceived, written and produced by Elevator Repair Service, GATZ is the first production of the A.R.T.'s America: Boom, Bust, and Baseball series.

America: Boom, Bust and Baseball explores the hopes, disappointments, and triumphs of the past American century from the roaring twenties to the Great Depression to the Boston Red Sox's stunning 2004 World Series victory.  We begin with the boom - GATZ brings every word of Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby to life in this once-in-a-lifetime marathon theatrical experience.  The bust is Clifford Odets' Paradise Lost, a powerful drama about an American family that loses everything in the throes of economic crisis.  Spring is baseball season, and the A.R.T. will be presenting the world premiere of Johnny Baseball, The New Red Sox Musical, an exhilarating new musical that explores the source of the infamous Curse and the secret to its end by blending fiction, fact and the mystical power of the game.

Gatz is a story within a story, where one morning in the low-rent office of a mysterious small business, an employee finds a copy of The Great Gatsby in the clutter of his desk. He starts to read it out loud, and doesn't stop.

At first his coworkers hardly notice. But after a series of strange coincidences, it's no longer clear whether he's reading the book or the book is doing something to him.

The production, as noted on A.R.T.'s website, "s not a stage adaptation of Fitzgerald's novel, but a reading of the entire book - brilliantly brought to life by one of New York's most exciting and acclaimed theater companies, Elevator Repair Service."

The thearical production makes use of a cast of 13 actors who speak the dialogue directly from the novel, while the character Nick acts as narrator. The prodction will take place in two parts, with part one consisting of chapters 1 through 5 and part two consisting of chapters 6 through 9. The production will feature a one hour meal between the two parts.

The ensemble includes Laurena Allan as Myrtle, Frank Boyd as Wilson, Ross Fletcher as Henry C. Gatz, Mike Iveson as Klipspringer, Sibyl Kempson as Jordan, Vin Knight as Chester, Aaron Landsman as Wilson, Annie McNamara as Catherine, Kate Scelsa as Lucille, Kristen Sieh as Catherine, Susie Sokol as Jordan and Ben Williams as Michaelis.

The design team features lighting design by Mark Barton, costume design by Colleen Werthmann, set design by Louisa Thompson, and sound design by Ben Williams. Steve Bodow acts as associate director.

GATZ runs through February 7, 2010 at the Loeb Drama Center (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA). For tickets, show times, great deals and meals, visit www.americanrepertorytheater.org.

The American Repertory THEATER (A.R.T.) is one of the country's most celebrated resident theaters and the winner of numerous awards - including the Tony Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and numerous local Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards. In 2002 the A.R.T. was the recipient of the National Theatre Conference's Outstanding Achievement Award, and in May of 2003 it was named one of the top three theaters in the country by Time magazine.

Founded by Robert Brustein in 1980, over its twenty-nine-year history the A.R.T. has welcomed major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes new American plays, bold reinterpretations of classical texts, and provocative new music Theater Productions. The A.R.T. has performed throughout the U.S. and worldwide in twenty-one cities in sixteen countries on four continents. It has presented over two hundred productions, over half of which were premieres of new plays, translations, and adaptations.

Last fall the A.R.T. welcomed its new Artistic Director, Diane Paulus. Under her leadership, the Theater has developed a new initiative, EXPERIENCE THE A.R.T., which seeks to revolutionize the theater experience through a sustained commitment to empowering the audience. This initiative recognizes that theater is not just a play on the stage, but also a social occasion for people to come together and experience community. This audience-driven vision speaks directly to the A.R.T.'s core mission - "to expand the boundaries of theater." By expanding its focus to include the audience's total theater experience, the A.R.T. seeks to give audiences a voice, a sense of ownership, and a feeling of importance in the theatrical event.

For more information, visit www.americanrepertorytheater.org.

 

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