The Public Theater Announces Casting for GATZ

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) announced complete casting today for the return of GATZ, the critically lauded theatrical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Created and performed by Elevator Repair Service, this award-winning theatrical event, directed by John Collins and featuring Scott Shepherd as Nick, will begin previews on Wednesday, March 14 and run through Sunday, May 6 for 28 performances only in the Newman Theater. Single tickets, beginning at $160, are on sale now.

GATZ was created and developed by the Elevator Repair Service ensemble, which includes Laurena Allan (Myrtle), Frank Boyd (George), Jim Fletcher (Jim), Ross Fletcher (Henry C. Gatz), Mike Iveson (Ewing), Vin Knight (Chester), Annie McNamara (Catherine), Kate Scelsa (Lucille), Scott Shepherd (Nick), Susie Sokol (Jordan), Victoria Vazquez (Daisy), Ben Williams (Michaelis), and Gary Wilmes (Tom).

One morning in the 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 transforming him. GATZ is a theatrical and literary tour de force, not a retelling of the Gatsby story but an enactment of the novel itself. Over the course of a single 6 1/2 hour production, Fitzgerald's American masterpiece is delivered word for word, startlingly brought to life by a low-rent office staff in the midst of their inscrutable business operations.

GATZ's Associate Director is Steve Bodow and features scenic design by Louisa Thompson, costume design by Colleen Werthmann, lighting design by Mark Barton, and sound design by Ben Williams.

John Collins (Director) founded Elevator Repair Service with his first production, Mr. Antipyrine, Fire Extinguisher. In the 20 years since, he has directed or co-directed all of the company's shows. From 1993 to 2006 he worked for The Wooster Group as a sound designer, receiving two Drama Desk nominations and two Bessie Awards. As a lighting designer, he won a Bessie Award for his design of Elevator Repair Service's Room Tone. John is the recipient of a 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship in Drama and Performance Art, the 2011 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director and the 2010 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for GATZ.

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