This year’s fall drama, The Great Gatsby, with a script deriving from the original novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and taught in the junior English curriculum, will be under the direction of two seniors this November.
In most schools, plays are not directed by students. However, at NHS, seniors Cal Creeden and Sean Dalton have been given the opportunity to direct. “I’m excited to work with Sean [co director] and everyone else to produce a show,” Creeden said.
For these students, it is their first experience in directing, so the difficult task requires a lot of effort. Knowing that the fall drama could not be comedy this year, they had limited choices. “I loved the book [The Great Gatsby] and thought that it would be easy to sell [to an audience]. I wanted to do a show that everyone would enjoy, understand, and have fun with,” Dalton said.
Creeden chose the show for very similar reasons. “We had to do a drama and in choosing a drama, we wanted something that would attract people’s attention, because it’s harder to find a drama that someone would be willing to sit through,” Creeden said.
When the co-directors came across The Great Gatsby, they just knew that it was “the one,” and decided to choose it based off of its popularity and status amongst society.
Although creating a piece of theater can be exciting, it also has challenges. “As directors, it’s hard to direct someone when you’re friends with them. You don’t want to tell them that they’re wrong or that they’re bad, but at the same time you’re trying to make the show the best that it can be. Also, with the load of schoolwork being a senior, it’s very hard balancing everything, but I’m trying my hardest,” Creeden said.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Dalton said. “There’s a lot to do and you have to be able to balance everything, but it will be nice to have Cal to lean on.”
Both directors have the similar challenge of directing friends. “Casting was difficult because I didn’t like cutting people. I know what it’s like to be cut,” Dalton said. “It’s also hard setting authority because we’re all good schoolmates.”
Both directors have a background in theater, as well. “I have done theater my whole life. It’s the first time I’ve ever directed though, and it’s interesting to get another perspective of it,” Dalton said.
“I started theater when I was in eighth grade; my first show was Bye Bye, Birdie at the Middle School. After that, my freshman year, I realized that it was really something I could spend my time doing in high school and I hit the ground running. I started doing all of the shows at the school, whether on stage or offstage. I started taking voice and dance lessons at Sabrina’s Encore Productions,” Creeden said. He’s been very involved ever since.
The love and passion they share for theater is one of the many reasons that made them become interested in directing. “Not only is it great for colleges, but my leadership skills will come through,” Creeden said.
Dalton agreed. “I always wanted to give my ideas [about directing],” Dalton said.
Besides being a novel and a play (adapted by Simon Levy), The Great Gatsby was adapted for the screen multiple times (1974- Newdon Productions and Paramount Pictures; 2013- Warner Bros. Pictures and Roadshow Entertainment).
The Newtown High School production of The Great Gatsby has a small cast, but many important people behind the scenes. Monique Dubois is Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager is Harrison Hoffert, Producers are Jaden Albrecht and Emily Charash, and Advisors are Janice Gabriel and Brian Tenney.
Cast Members include Joseph Verga (Jay Gatsby), Claire Swanson (Daisy Buchanan), Tom Coppinger (Nick Caraway), Julia Bogdanoff (Jordan Baker), Olyvia Shaw (Myrtle Wilson), Jacob Schultz (Tom Buchanan), Michael Killeen (George Wilson), Brooks Petershack (Meyer Wolfsheim), Charles Soto (Mr. McKee/Policeman), and McKenzie Iazzetta (Mrs. McKee/Mrs. Michaelis).
Performances of The Great Gatsby will be November 12, 13, and 14 at 7:00 pm and November 15 at 2:00 pm.