About the Show

In a shabby office, an employee reads "The Great Gatsby" aloud, blurring fiction and reality.

As the centennial of *The Great Gatsby* approaches, Elevator Repair Service’s acclaimed production, GATZ, returns to The Public Theater for a final encore in New York City.

This unique adaptation, which won Obie and Lortel Awards over a decade ago, unfolds in a small business office where an employee discovers a copy of *The Great Gatsby* on his desk. He begins reading it aloud, and soon, the line between reader and character blurs amidst a series of strange coincidences.

Directed by John Collins and featuring Scott Shepherd reprising his award-winning role as the Narrator, GATZ is a 6 1/2-hour performance that enacts the entire novel word for word.

Critic Reviews (7)

"Gatz is a welcome counterbalance, reaffirming the story's true nature as a complex"
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"The sense of simultaneous relief and satisfaction...is very much worth experiencing live"
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"...'Gatz' is no mere gimmick, it’s a way of life and a treatise on the human condition."
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For a previous production

“The absolute best ‘Great Gatsby’ stage version is the Elevator Repair Service’s ‘Gatz’...The ERS faithfulness to Fitzgerald distinguishes this magnificent offering...Indeed, Fitzgerald’s final series of scenes are beautifully wrought, are hypnotic, are the author’s excoriation of the decade’s arrogance."
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For a previous production

“‘I can't believe I missed this the first time around,’ declared a lucky audience member who attended the return of Elevator Repair Service's brilliant ‘Gatz’ (2012), its ingenious theatricalization of the entire-word-for-word-’The Great Gatsby’ (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald's great American tale of lush life on the North Shore of Long Island in the fabled Twenties. This lady was able to bask in the unpredictable storytelling performed by a company of very patient and talented actors.”
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For a previous production

"An epic, 8-hour staging of Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby' that is arguably more entertaining than watching a film version or reading the book by yourself...It is indeed possible to enjoy spending most of a day watching an ensemble of thirteen read a book onstage...Through unhurried reflection on and reconstruction of the novel, Elevator Repair Service makes a meta work of art...Collins is to be congratulated for guiding a cast of thirteen through such a sustained storytelling event."
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For a previous production

"It is, intentionally, exhausting, for actors and audience alike. Like any long haul, there is a period in the middle where it’s uncertain as to whether continuing on will be worth the work. And like the more memorable durational experiences, the last third is exceedingly exhilarating...It’s an infectious seduction of a novel, and hearing it read out loud is surprisingly effective in and of itself...Each word was required to keep the spell from breaking."
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Trailer

Creative team

Elevator Repair Service

Producer

John Collins

Director