Elevator Repair Service To Bring Gatz Back To McCarter

McCarter Theatre Center will present Elevator Repair Service's multi-award-winning play, Gatz, the critically-lauded performance of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, for three performances, February 15 - 17 on the Berlind Stage. Gatz will be presented as a marathon eight-hour event, including two intermissions and a dinner break.

Not just a retelling of the Gatsby story, Gatz is a thoroughly entertaining dramatization of Fitzgerald's American masterpiece, word for word. Including its acclaimed 2011 run at McCarter, this theatrical tour-de-force has enjoyed over twenty-five engagements world-wide since its premiere; and holds particular significance for the greater Princeton community given Fitzgerald's artistic endeavors while enrolled at Princeton University.

One morning in the shabby office of a mysterious small business, an employee (Scott Shepherd) finds a copy of The Great Gatsby in the clutter on his desk. He starts to read it out loud and doesn't stop. At first his coworkers hardly notice. But after a series of strange coincidences, it's no longer clear whether he's reading the book, or the book is transforming him into its narrator. View a trailer for the production here.

Gatz, created by multi award-winning ensemble Elevator Repair Service, is directed by John Collins and features Scott Shepherd (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Bridge of Spies), who won an Obie for his performance in Gatz. Shepherd is joined by Laurena Allan, Jim Fletcher, Ross Fletcher, Lindsay Hockaday, Maggie Hoffman, Vin Knight, Aaron Landsman, April Matthis, Annie McNamara, Gavin Price, and Ben Jalosa Williams.

Gatz's Associate Director is Steve Bodow, and features scenic design by Louisa Thompson, costume design by Colleen Werthmann, lighting design by Mark Barton, and sound design by Ben Williams. ERS's Producer is Ariana Smart Truman. The production visits McCarter Theatre Center directly following a January 23 - February 3 run at NYU Skirball.

Elevator Repair Service, based in NYC, has been making original theater since 1991. Under the direction of Artistic Director John Collins, ERS has achieved national and international recognition with its extensive body of work and has influenced a generation of theater-makers. The company's performances have been presented in Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and across the United States, and have been recognized with numerous awards. elevator.org.

Gatz was commissioned in part by Walker Art Center (Minneapolis).

Elevator Repair Service will perform Gatz on the Berlind Stage February 15 - 17, 2019. Each performance will begin at 2 p.m., and will include two intermissions and a dinner break. Information on dinner packages will be released in the coming weeks. Tickets range from $25-$150 and can be purchased online at mccarter.org, by phone at (609) 258-2787, or in person at the McCarter Ticket Office.

McCarter Theatre Center's mission is to create world-class theater and present the finest performing artists for the engagement, education, and entertainment to the community. Under the artistic leadership of award-winning playwright and director Emily Mann and Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg, McCarter produces a vibrant six-play Theater Series each season. Winner of the 1994 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, world premieres include Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013 Tony - Best Play); Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brother/Sister Plays; Emily Mann's Having Our Say; and Danai Gurira's The Convert. Other works which later moved to Broadway include Brian Friel's Translations, Nilo Cruz's Anna in the Tropics (Pulitzer Prize), and Frank McGuinness' translation of Electra. Through the leadership of Special Programming Director William W. Lockwood, McCarter brings the best artists from around the world to Princeton, New Jersey, including upcoming visits from Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding, Andy Borowitz, and many more. Education and outreach efforts serve tens of thousands through student matinees, in-school residencies, and adult education classes. McCarter is supported by contributions from Princeton University, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, corporations, foundations, and from over 2,000 individuals. More at mccarter.org.