A 'Great' Performance of 'Gatsby'

By: Evelyn Bertiaux

“The Great Gatsby,” adapted for the stage by Simon Levy, was performed by the Quaker Valley Drama Club on Oct. 25 at 2:00 pm and 7:00pm and Oct. 26 at 2:00pm in the QVHS auditorium. The Drama Club is a student-run group, and Ms. Kayla Marasia and Mr. Jason Marko serve as the faculty sponsors. This year’s production was directed by senior Sevin Leghorn. The rest of the creative team consisted of Ana Luiza Bacchi as Producer, Ellie Tormasi as Stage Manager, Milo Taylor-Martin as Assistant Director, Adele Hydzik as Assistant Producer and Costume Designer, Lucy Ruiz as Assistant Stage Manager and Evelyn Bertiaux as Costume Designer. Every member of the cast and crew were crucial for bringing the show together, and each student worked exceptionally hard throughout September and October to produce a meaningful performance. 

Leghorn was especially looking forward to certain scenes to bring “Gatsby” to life. He said, “I’m hoping that the Plaza Hotel scene is a crowd favorite. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s the climax of the story and things get pretty crazy!” Despite the tension of some scenes there are a lot of opportunities for laughter. Henry Simon, who plays Nick Carraway, believes the crowd will enjoy “the scene in Myrtle’s apartment or at Gatsby’s party since they are rather funny.”

However, Henry’s favorite scene to perform in is “the monologue where Nick turns 30 and weirdly when he and Jordan are arguing about whether or not she’s a good driver.” Julianna Vescio, who played Daisy, found meaning in a crucial moment for her character. “My favorite scene is the meeting of Nick because it contains the ‘beautiful little fool’ monologue which is one of the best lines in my opinion,” Vescio said. “It’s also one of the rare occasions we get to see Daisy’s true inner thoughts.” There is a lot of power in an actor enjoying the scene they are in, as it allows for the scene to take a whole new light when presented to the audience.

One way an actor brings life to the show is through their individual character work. What this means is that the actor thinks deeper about their character, figuring out who they are, their motivations, and their reasonings behind their actions. Simon describes Nick’s relation to the story line: “His life gets tangled up in these stories of these rich and powerful people.” Vescio concludes that the show prompts the viewer to consider Daisy’s ultimate choice: her husband Tom or former lover Gatsby. Vescio describes this choice “as one of her rare acts of free will … though it was not a good choice, at least she got to make one.” 

The cast, crew and leadership of “Gatsby” worked exceptionally hard to put on this year's Drama Club performance. Students and community members showed up to support the Drama Club, contributing to record ticket sales. Two judges from the annual Drama Awards attended each performance. The Drama Awards will take place this January at Shadyside Academy. 

The cast and crew of the Drama Club pose proudly before the evening performance of The Great Gatsby on Oct. 26. Part of the fun for the cast was donning their 1920s finery in costumes curated by Adele Hydzik and Evelyn Bertiaux.

Photo Credit: Jason Marko