THE GREAT GATSBY Opens Tonight at Cincinnati Shakespeare

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company officially opens their 2014-2015 season with the highly anticipated production of the Regional Premiere of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" adapted for the stage by Simon Levy. This production is directed by Cincinnati Shakespeare's Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips and features Cincinnati Shakespeare's Resident Ensemble of actors including Jared Joplin, Justin McCombs, Sara Clark and Kelly Mengelkoch. The Ensemble is generously sponsored by BKD and Taft and the Design is sponsored by Legg Mason.

It is the height of prohibition and young Nick Carraway (Justin McCombs) has taken up residence in Long Island's "West Egg", home to the nouveau riche near his cousin Daisy Buchannan (Sara Clark). He is soon befriended by his neighbor, the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Jared Joplin), and is drawn into his glitzy, if garish, world of lavish parties and secret speakeasies. But as Gatsby's secretive past is uncovered and his intentions revealed, Nick finds himself a pawn in a love triangle so scandalous, it threatens to destroy all those around him. This American classic is a poignant examination of America in the early twentieth century, exploring the notions of love, morality, identity and the corruption of the American Dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald's best known and most beloved work, "The Great Gatsby" finally comes to the stage in this exclusive new adaption by Simon Levy.

"The Great Gatsby" is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald and is widely considered to be a literary classic and a contender for the title of the Great American Novel. The story has been told in many art forms including opera, radio, and ballet as well as in film including the 1974 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, and the most recent 2013 version directed by Baz Luhrmann staring Leonardo DeCaprio. This new adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" by Simon Levy for the stage is the only one authorized and granted exclusive rights by the Fitzgerald Estate and is the only version permitted to be produced in the US and Canada. The play had its world premiere at The Guthrie Theater and was subsequently produced by Seattle Repertory Theatre. In 2012 a revised/reworked version was produced at Arizona Theatre Company and Grand Theatre in London, Ontario, Canada. In September, it is receiving its regional premiere in Cincinnati by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company!

Performances of "The Great Gatsby" are scheduled from tonight, September 5-October 4, 2014 on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm with an additional Saturday matinee on Oct. 4. Preview performances are on Wednesday Sep. 3 and Thursday Sep. 4 at 7:30pm and tickets are $21. The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center. Single ticket prices range from $22-$32 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$36 on Fridays and Saturdays. This show is a part of the 2014-2015 subscription season. If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased 30 minutes before a show with a valid student ID. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Ticketing fees may apply. Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as AAA members. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.

About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages. Located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season. The repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors' Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's Education and Outreach Programs reached nearly 30,000 young people and underserved community members last season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions at its home on Race Street. Last season, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to "Complete the Canon" by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati's stage for the classics!

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