Once upon a “Gatsby”

Zachary Ford (Nick Carraway) in the Arizona Theatre Company production of "The Great Gatsby" (Photo: Tim Fuller/ATC)

Our oldest daughter Jennifer, now a cultural anthropology student at ASU in Tempe, was incredibly keen on anything and everything by F. Scott Fitzgerald during one particular year of high school — so we spent lots of time chasing some of his harder to find works.

I don’t remember feeling nearly as enamoured with the American writer who lived from 1896 to 1940, best known to many for coining the term “Jazz Age” and writing about its many manifestations.

It’s harder to love something when told we ought to do so, or when everyone else seems smitten with it — which might explain why I felt so completely unmoved while watching “The Great Gatsby” unfold at Herberger Theater Center Saturday night.

The company of the Arizona Theatre Company production of "The Great Gatsby" (Photo: Tim Fuller/ATC)

The performance was pristine and passionate, and embraced with genuine enthusiasm by an audience that laughed and let out knowing sighs throughout. But I just couldn’t go there. The characters are odd in ways I find completely unrelatable, unlike those in “The Glass Menagerie” performed during Arizona Theatre Company’s 2009-10 season.

David Andrew Macdonald (Jay Gatsby) and Monette Magrath (Daisy Buchanan) in the Arizona Theatre Company production of "The Great Gatsby" (Photo: Tim Fuller/ATC)

If the lingering effect of anesthesia somehow blunted my ability to feel this story, it certainly didn’t curtail my appreciation for the beauty of this production, which features some of the best lighting, sets and costumes I’ve seen here in the Valley. It’s well-acted and directed, making for a sort of master class in bringing great literature to the stage.

David Andrew Macdonald (Jay Gatsby) in the Arizona Theatre Company production of "The Great Gatsby" (Photo: Tim Fuller/ATC)

“F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby” is adapted by Simon Levy, and directed by Stephen Wrentmore. Scenic design is by Yoon Bae, costume design is by David Kay Mickelsen and lighting design is by Dawn Chiang. It stars Zachary Ford as Nick Carraway, David Andrew Macdonald as Jay Gatsby and Monette Magrath as Daisy Buchanan.

Few companies excel like Arizona Theatre Company in “theater as teacher” mode. Their play guides are interesting reads — especially in the case of “The Great Gatsby.” Explore it online if you’re eager to learn more about the Roaring ’20s, the Prohibition era and the Jazz Age. Also what the ’20s meant for women’s rights and developments in New York City. There’s even a nifty timeline filled with truly fascinating fare.

I may never share my daughter’s insights into the world or writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, but Arizona Theater Company is certainly inching me closer.

— Lynn

Note: Arizona Theatre Company performs “The Great Gatsby” at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix through April 8. Click here for details.

Coming up: Taking risks

Seeing red

It’s starting to feel like a bit of a conspiracy theory. Now that my daughter Lizabeth is readying to leave Arizona for college, several of the shows she’s most eager to see have started popping up around the Valley.

We were “seeing red” recently when we realized she’ll be well into her freshman year (at a college yet to be decided) before the Arizona premiere of a play that won six 2010 Tony Awards — including “best play.”

The work is John Logan’s “Red” — which is based on the true story of an artist grappling with “the commission of a lifetime.” The play is described as “a searing portrait of an artist’s ambition and vulnerability.”

Apparently matters are complicated by a new assistant who questions the artist’s “views of art, creativity and commerce.” Their master/novice dialogue explores an age-old query: “Is art meant to provoke, soothe or disturb?”

“Red” is the final work in the recently unveiled Arizona Theatre Company 2011-2012 season, which opens with a world premiere titled “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club.” It’s a Jeffrey Hatcher work based on “The Suicide Club” by Robert Louis Stevenson and characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle.

The 45th anniversary season slate for Arizona Theatre Company also features the Southwest premiere of Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage,” which won the 2009 Tony Award for “best play.” Picture grown-ups trying to be civilized as they discuss their children’s misadventures on a playground — only to unravel as “political correctness” dissolves into “character assasination.”

The fact that bullying is such a hot topic of discussion these days makes this work especially intriguing. Perhaps it’ll answer one of my one burning questions: Why are parents (and politicians) who bully so suprised when children follow in their footsteps?

They’ll also present the Southwest premiere of “Daddy Long Legs” — a musical that’s based on the novel by Jean Webster. It features book by John Caird (who also directs), and music/lyrics by Paul Gordon.

“Daddy Long Legs” couples coming of age saga and love story. Told “through a series of letters,” it’s described as “a testament to the power of the written word.”

Valley theater-goers might have had more experience with the next show in ATC’s 2011-2012 season — “Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.” Lizabeth and I first saw this one at ASU Gammage, then at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

“The 39 Steps,” which features four actors in well over 100 roles, is described by some as “spy novel meets Monty Python.” It’s the tale of a mild-mannered man who finds himself tangled up with murder, espionage and a dash of flirtacious misadventure. When well cast (which I certainly expect to be the case with ATC), it’s one of the funniest shows around.

An additional offering in the ATC 2011-2012 season is Simon Levy’s adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” — based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name. It explores a world of wealth and privilege during the “jazz age” of 1920s America.

It’s hard to imagine a stronger season. And while Lizabeth is truly disappointed she won’t be here to experience these shows, ATC’s 2011-2012 offerings will serve me well by providing poignant, powerful fare and a much needed distraction as I miss my favorite theater companion.

— Lynn

Note: Arizona Theatre Company presents their “Curtains Up Cabaret 2011” Sat, April 30 at the Herberger Theater Center. Click here to learn more.

Coming up: Musings on “message” movies, Valley teen does comedy