The Gatsby Project
Project Overview
"And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
With those words in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald created what was, at the time, his greatest financial failure to date. However in time posterity would rediscover his little blue book, and raise it into the realms of high artistic canon, to be thrust upon thousands of un-eager and un-willing students every year.
Such was I when I first read The Great Gatsby. At the time I had, I expect, somewhat of a standard reaction to it: "Well, this is somewhat boring, I don't see why it's a classic." However, with the plague afflicting the land resulting in lockdown, I found myself with time and desperation enough to re-read the novel, and I found myself enraptured; and, like with many fans of fictional works, wanted to create something off of it.
Such is this this project. This, The Gatsby Project, is attempting to create a word-for-word audio adaptation of Fitzgerald's seminal work. The majority of the major roles have already been cast, however, due to personal issues, the role of Tom suddenly became open again. I knew I would eventually have to do a casting call for minor roles, people who appear for one speaking line and then are never heard from again, but this new vacancy prompted me to push up those plans.
A sample of what the project will sound like:
https://soundcloud.com/will-marcil/the-gatsby-project-sample
This project is going to be a commitment. When a similar project, a word-for-word stage play called "Gatz", was put on in 2010, the final running time was 7 hours. I am going to be breaking this up into chapter sized episode, with the (perhaps over-optimistic) goal being one episode per month. I am, however, quite passionate about this project, and come hell or high water, I shall see it done.
I will DM with the link to the Discord channel upon casting.
Now, would you care to join me, old sport?
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Male, 30's, Gruff husky tenor
"a sturdy, straw haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner."
The closest thing to a main antagonist, Tom Buchanan is the proto-highschool has-been, or rather college has-been. He had been "one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven—a national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anti-climax." Come into his family fortune, he now spends his time playing polo, reading racist literature, and cheating on his wife.
Of note: You must be comfortable with spouting racist rhetoric.
(SELF ASSURED, BUT ONLY JUST AND DESPERATELY SO)
This idea is that we’re Nordics. I am, and you are and
you are and— and we’ve produced all the things that go to make civilization—oh, science and art and all that. Do you see?(SLIGHTLY JOVIAL, RELAXED)
[Looking at the ash around him] Terrible place, isn’t it. It does her good to get away.
Her husband object? Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He’s so dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive.
(INDIGNANT AND DEFENSIVE)
What if I
did tell him? That fellow had it coming to him. He threw
dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy’s but he was a
tough one. He ran over Myrtle like you’d run over a dog and
never even stopped his car.
Male, late 20's, Greek
Michaelis is the owner of a small diner in the Valley of the Ashes, who sees Myrtle's death and tries to talk down George afterward. I am looking for someone who has a shred of innocence that working life is slowly stripping away.
(RELAYING A HIT AND RUN, IN SHOCK)
There was two cars, one comin’, one
goin’, see? One goin’ each way. Well, she—she
ran out there an’ the one comin’ from N’York knock right
into her goin’ thirty or forty miles an hour.(TALKING DOWN A MAN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN)
You ought to have a church, George, for times like this.
You must have gone to church once. Didn’t you get married in a church? Listen, George, listen to me. Didn’t you get
married in a church?(CONTINUING TO TALK DOWN)
You’re morbid, George, This has been a
strain to you and you don’t know what you’re saying. You’d
better try and sit quiet till morning.
Female, 20's, Higher pitch
The Yellow Girls are guests at the first party Nick attends, and relay to him, and thus to us, the "generous" nature of Mr. Gatsby. The two later go on to perform a baby act, (seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VgTtlfmEv0 )
NOTE: I do not want these particular voices, but voices that would seem capable of them.
( ON THE GRAND PARTY SHE'S AT)
I like to come; I never care what I do, so I always have a good time. When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and he asked me my name and address--inside of a week I got a package from Croirier’s with a new evening gown in it.
There’s something funny about a fellow that’ll do a thing like that. He doesn’t want any trouble with anybody, Gatsby. Somebody told me-
(CONSPIRATORIALLY)
Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.
Female, 20's, Higher pitch
The Yellow Girls are guests at the first party Nick attends, and relay to him, and thus to us, the "generous" nature of Mr. Gatsby. The two later go on to perform a baby act, (example seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VgTtlfmEv0 )
NOTE: I do not want these particular voices, but voices that would seem capable of them.
(ON IF SHE WAS GOING TO WEAR A DRESS GIVEN TO HER)
Sure I did. I was going to wear it tonight, but it was too big in the bust and had to be altered. It was gas blue with lavender beads. Two hundred and sixty-five dollars.
(ON HEARING AN UNTRUE STORY)
Oh no, it couldn’t be that, because he was in the American army during the war. You look at him sometimes when he thinks nobody’s looking at him. I’ll bet he killed a man.
Male, Early 20's, perhaps a hint of German
A boarder in Gatsby's house, who theoretically plays the piano.
(EMBARRASSED)
I was asleep, that is, I’d BEEN asleep. Then I got up…
(ON PLAYING THE PIANO)
I don’t play well. I don’t—I hardly play at all. I’m all out
of practise-- I'm out of prac--(TRYING TO GET OUT OF GOING TO A FUNERAL)
Well, the fact is—the truth of the matter is that I’m staying with some people up here in Greenwich and they rather expect me to be with them tomorrow. In fact there’s a sort of picnic or something. Of course I’ll do my very best to get away.’
Male, late 50's, Midwestern Dialect.
This is Gatsby's father. He only makes an appearance in our story at the very end after Gatsby is killed. I am looking for an Ol' Farmer type for this voice.
(SOMEWHAT DESPONDENT)
He had a big future before him, you know. He was only a
young man but he had a lot of brain power here. If he’d of lived he’d of been a great man. A man like
James J. Hill. He’d of helped build up the country(WITH TEMPERED EXCITEMENT)
He come out to see me two years ago and bought me the
house I live in now. Of course we was broke up when he run
off from home but I see now there was a reason for it. He
knew he had a big future in front of him. And ever since he
made a success he was very generous with me.
Meyer Wolfshiem's receptionist, appears in the final chapter.
Paulette Goddard type.
Nobody’s in, Mr. Wolfshiem’s gone to Chicago. I can’t get him back from Chicago, can I?
These are the workhorse roles. As there are several lines that are just one unidentified person that appears for a single line and are never seen again, I am collapsing them into a general role that will be filled by a few people.
This particular is a high class woman, think Myrna Loy to Margret DuMont types.
(MARGARET DUMONT-ESQUE)
Whenever he sees I’m having a good time he wants to
go home.
Never heard anything so selfish in my life. We’re always the first ones to leave.(MYRNA LOY-ESQUE)
She’s much obliged, I’m sure, but you got her dress all wet when you stuck
her head in the pool.
These are the workhorse roles. As there are several lines that are just one unidentified person that appears for a single line and are never seen again, I am collapsing them into a general role that will be filled by a few people.
This particular is a high class man, think William Powell type.
He was a German spy during the war. I heard that from a man who knew all about him, grew
up with him in Germany.Oh, she’s all right now. When she’s had five or six cocktails she always starts screaming like that. I tell her she
ought to leave it alone.
These are the workhorse roles. As there are several lines that are just one unidentified person that appears for a single line and are never seen again, I am collapsing them into a general role that will be filled by a few people.
This particular is a middle class man, think John Mahoney type.
Right you are, Know you next time, Mr. Gatsby. Excuse me!
I beg your pardon. Miss Baker? I beg your pardon but Mr.
Gatsby would like to speak to you alone.
These are the workhorse roles. As there are several lines that are just one unidentified person that appears for a single line and are never seen again, I am collapsing them into a general role that will be filled by a few people.
This particular is a lower class male, think James Cagney type.
Young Parke’s in trouble. They picked
him up when he handed the bonds over the counter. They
got a circular from New York giving ‘em the numbers just
five minutes before. What d’you know about that, hey?Tell him who came over? Carraway. All right. I'll tell him. Sir.
Female, 2 years old, American
Daisy and Tom's daughter, role very much open to interpretation (given what you have to work with).
(EAGERLY)
I got dressed before luncheon.
(CALMLY)]
Yes, Aunt Jordan's got a white dress too.
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