Friday, October 24, NC theatre performed their last home stage run of their rendition of the literary masterpiece, “The Great Gatsby.” This play, one that the cast and crew tirelessly worked on since August, stands as the Troupe’s first play of the school year — ultimately, starting off the semester with an amazing opening One Act.
“I feel great, and I think we did a really good job and we all worked together to put together a great show we are all proud of. I am a little sad that this is my last One Act because I have done it all four years here at NC. I am just so proud of all the things I have done here, and I am excited to pass it on to all the new people,” magnet senior Marielle Parker said.
Before beginning the production of “The Great Gatsby,” NC theater teacher Candice Corcoran hosted auditions to select the perfect list of actors to capture the true essence of the main characters Jay Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Myrtle Wilson and various other roles. Actors who cold-read a script at their audition and successfully blew away Corcoran during their gig include senior Will Gichaara as Gatsby, senior Ryan Mason as Jordan Baker, magnet senior Chase Wilson as Carraway, junior Katelyn McKoon as Mrs. Buchanan and senior Drew Hunter as Mr. Buchanan. These teen stars, along with others, put together a sensational play which they showcased for three nights in a row in NC’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) at 7 pm.
To set the play, the cast decorated the scene with old-fashioned sofas and a blue and grey concrete backdrop featuring eyes and glasses painted on to represent the billboard outside of the New York City scene from the original book. The imperative green light, a fundamental symbol for the plot of the play, lit up the stage and guided Mason, Wilson, Gichaara and background characters into the scene.
After Carraway received an invitation from Gatsby, the play began in a party scene at Gatsby’s house, and Carraway began to understand his hidden identity. Later, dancers entered the stage and partied and spoke aloud rumors about Gatsby, leaving Carraway confused as he heard varying claims about this man who invited him to the party.
The cast continued following the plot of “The Great Gatsby” by including scenes such as when Mrs. Myrtle Wilson, played by Parker, dies after Daisy hits her with Gatsby’s yellow car. To recreate Mrs. Wilson’s life-ending incident, magnet senior Savannah Rader touched up Parker’s makeup by adding dark powder to create a bruise-like effect all over her face, visually capturing the impact of being run over at full speed.
“My favorite part, this is going to sound really crazy, is when Myrtle dies. Marielle has to get herself really hype for it, and it makes me giggle a lot. And also, I really like my scene because it is the only scene I am in,” magnet senior, playing Lucille McKee, Mary Washburn said.
The play came to a close after Gatsby and Mr. George Wilson, played by magnet senior Bryce Nichols, intentionally died at Gatsby’s mansion after Mr. Wilson pulled out his gun to end both of their lives. Mr. Wilson plotted to murder Gatsby after the death of Mrs. Wilson, since he believed that Gatsby killed her, and Mr. Wilson could not live without his wife. Gichaara and Nichols dramatically set the scene of the murder and suicide with sound effects from the tech crew, emphasizing the pull of the trigger along with a lighting blackout.
After this final act, the green light reappeared, symbolizing Gatsby’s unattainable dreams. Following the last scene, the cast gathered back on stage and took their final bow all together. The tech crew also joined for their moment of recognition as Corcoran spoke of her adoration for the talented group of students. In response, McKoon, Washburn and Rader presented their beloved theater mom a gift of their appreciation with a bundle of colorful flowers and a cast and crew signed book of “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The students sweetly spoke of Corcoran and all her wonderful contributions to the play and left the stage with hearts full of gratitude.
“[Being on tech] was really, really fun — it was my first time and I didn’t know anybody going into this. It has been fun getting to build a community, especially with the seniors. My favorite part is getting to do the whole car light when Myrtle dies because it’s really fun and she [Parker] is really good at screaming, so it’s really funny,” magnet freshman Colbie Cogbill said.
Saturday, October 24, the cast and crew took a bow for “The Great Gatsby” at Marietta High School at the One Act competition, in which they placed first in the 5AAAAAA division. This first-place win launched them to state competition, allowing them to perform this year’s One Act yet again for additional recognition.
The Chant wishes NC’s Thespian Troupe 4225 luck as they advance to state competition with “The Great Gatsby!”
