Drama Club Exceeds Expectations With “Gatsby”

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The drama club presented The Great Gatsby in 2013. The production was in the community room. Photo from Beachcomber archives by Chad Tindel.

Expectations were high for the Dec. 6-8 production of The Great Gatsby, and the BHS drama club did not disappoint.

The club welcomes a new director this year: Pierre Brault. His creativity was clear to audience members viewing the production of The Great Gatsby. From the lighting, the set, to the costumes and music, the play was very well done.

Well-known works such as Gatsby bring high expectations since so many recognize the story. Fitzgerald’s novel depicts the decadent, luxurious lives of the rich upper class during the roaring 20’s. The story focuses on Nick

Carraway, a Midwesterner who moves to New York’s fictional “West Egg,” a playground of extravagance and scandal. His second cousin, Daisy Buchanan, shows him the glamorous life she leads with her philandering husband Tom. However, when an old flame, Jay Gatsby, finds his way back into her life, she must make a big decision between the two.

The auditorium is closed for remodeling, so the production was held in the community room. The drama club made the venue work by staging the play as a dinner theater. Rather than watching from afar, we, the audience, felt as if we were actually in the play as we ordered food from the welcoming waiters. Rather than actual music from the twenties, the play was scored with remixes of modern songs such as You Da’ One by Rihanna.

Not only were the details of the play carefully thought-out and imaginative, but the acting was marvelous as well. The actors brought genuine emotion, which caused some audience members to tear up at dramatic moments. Tess Kazdin excellently displayed the inner turmoil of Daisy Buchanan and was able to maintain an accent throughout the play . Neil Kelly, cast as Nick Carraway, continued to display effortless talent throughout the entire play as the narrator of the story, slowly transitioning from an innocent and naive newcomer into a man weary of the stuck up New Yorkers. Finally, Bryce Darby starred as Gatsby himself, and pulled off a brilliant performance. Every one of the supporting actors who participated were superb as well.

Audience members may have set a high bar for Gatsby, but with great acting and a superb venue, they were not disappointed.