Harrison Stengle Brings Post-Apocalyptic Great Gatsby Retelling to Philadelphia Fringe

The year is 2025. Philadelphia has survived a nuclear war. From the ashes rises a man named Gatsby. From Harrison Stengle, the director/writer of the off-off Broadway show Sword of the Unicorn comes GATZ, a post-modernist post-apocalyptic vaporwave infused interracial parody onThe Great Gatsby. This new work runs Friday, September 8, 7:00 p.m.-Sunday, September 24 at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Samson Street. Tickets to every show cost $20 and can be purchased over the phone at 215-413-1318, online at www.fringearts.com, at the Fringe Box Office or at the door.

GATZ covers many themes from the original work that follow us into the modern era. What does it mean to chase after the American Dream and to fail? What are the limitations of love? This version of this iconic piece of literature doesn't mean to separate itself but act as a mirror for the original version. The idea is to reveal the symbolism in the play by twisting it. Modern feelings on Nuclear War are similar to feelings about the Great War. For example, the character Wolfshiem is now Muslim to reflect the religious persecution of the modern era.

One of the more controversial reworkings in this show is Gatsby is played by a black man. Stengle believes that Gatsby has always been a white placeholder for the black struggle in the United States. This conclusion has been made based on breaking down the symbolism of the original book. His hope is to show people that Gatsby was always black and have audience members ask the question "does that change anything?" The conclusion of the people involved with the project is no and if it did it, it makes the story that much more compelling.

ABOUT HARRISON STENGLE

Harrison Stengle is a producer/playwright/director in Philadelphia. Stengle made his directorial debut with his original work Cult Classic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received considerable media attention as part of the city's 2015 Fringe Festival. The following year, Stengle staged Wolfhead Hamlet at the Society Hill Playhouse in Philadelphia. Stengle's adaptation of Hamlet quickly garnered him a reputation for edgy and sometimes controversial work. Recently Harrison's 2016 Philly Fringe Show is going to New York City. Sword of the Unicorn will be part of Theatre for a New City's 2017's Dream Up Festival. Sword of the Unicorn deconstructs false narratives about the coming out experience for the LGTBQ community, through a sci-fi fantasy twist of the Hero's Journey.

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