Just a few months shy of its 100th anniversary, “The Great Gatsby” remains firmly in the literary canon. Every high school teenager who endured an American literature class has, at some point, read the “great American novel,” dissecting the symbolism of the green light or the eerie eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. It’s easy to become bored wading through ceaseless adaptations of one of the most famous stories of all time, but Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society has managed to provide the audience with a refreshing — if not entirely new — experience of “The Great Gatsby.”
The play opens up with a short dance number, accompanied by the presence of a rather dapper Saxophone Man (Brian Weinberger CAS ’25) who sets the mood with a jazz rendition of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. This is followed by the first monologue of the play given by Nick Carraway (Rishu Nevatia CAS ’27), kickstarting the story. The audience is introduced to the repellent figure of Tom Buchanan (Massimo D’Onofrio CAS ’28) and Nick’s cousin Daisy Buchanan (Emma Erdoes SFS ’25), whose troubled marriage unravels more disturbingly as the play progresses. Staying true to the original story, the production follows Jay Gatsby (Nate Findlay CAS ’27), the wealthy and enigmatic stranger who befriends Nick while desperately trying to win back his first love, Daisy, from her cruel and unfaithful husband. Tom proves to be a major roadblock, as his carousing and blatant cheating with Myrtle Wilson (Kait Delaney CAS ’25) does not stop him from condemning his wife’s improprieties.
One minor change comes in the role of Meyer Wolfsheim (Sasha Montefiore CAS ’25), Gatsby’s secretive and shady business partner. Wolfsheim is a lingering presence in the play, his heavy cane announcing his arrival in every scene well before a word is spoken. Montefiore does a good job of creeping out Nick and the audience with his slow and deliberate words, only making them more curious about Wolfsheim. His constant interruptions of Gatsby’s conversations lend a layer of anxiety and suspicion to both characters, begging the question that everyone wants to know: Who is Jay Gatsby?
The play’s use of flashbacks skillfully addresses the challenge of portraying characters as they once were without altering them too drastically. This is achieved through Jordan Baker’s (Claire Cable CAS ’27) narration, who guides the audience through flashback sequences that reveal Daisy’s inner turmoil and her complex relationship with a younger, more hopeful Gatsby. These monologues — much like Nick’s — are enhanced by the intimate theater setting, where the confined space and strategic use of spotlights draw the audience in, making them feel like eavesdroppers on the lives of 1920s elites in West Egg, Long Island.
One of the standout artistic choices was the inclusion of a jazz-infused Billy Joel soundtrack, which perfectly captured both the era and the setting of the play. Instrumental and more subdued versions of songs like “Vienna” and “Only the Good Die Young” were used throughout to underscore the emotional weight of each scene, without ever feeling repetitive. These thoughtful, subtle decisions are what makes this adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” a truly engaging experience.
The small space could have been a hindrance, but the crew turned it into an advantage. The set pieces appeared to be carefully thought through, and the presence of props like the ever-present bar cart never felt out of place. Props such as Daisy’s pearl necklace or Meyer Wolfsheim’s cane not only looked good but served to further the characters and their stories. One of the most fascinating parts of the set design was, of course, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. Known and feared by English students across the country, the doctor’s looming presence has great significance on the overall themes of the story, and this element translated well in the play. Painted on the top right corner of Wilson’s gas station, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg (Marre Gaffigan CAS ’26) were not as big as a billboard, but their piercing and judgmental gaze was still felt.
Every actor does their character justice, especially D’Onofrio, who perfectly captures Tom’s toxicity and violence, and Erdoes, who delivers a compelling performance as an emotionally distraught Daisy who just wants to be loved. Findlay’s yearning Gatsby has the audience rooting and praying for a different, happier ending than the one we all know. Nevatia gives the audience a solid portrayal of innocent Nick Carraway and his disillusionment with the greed and lies of high society. “The Great Gatsby,” directed by Briana Sparacino (SFS ’25) and produced by Ruby Lillie (CAS ’27), is by no means a radical departure from the source material, but it has just enough nuance to make it a fun and worthwhile way to spend two hours.
