Recommended: See Time Out with Gatz star Scott Shepherd
When was the last time theater changed you? Made you feel a part of something larger than yourself and nourished your intellect? We suggest you invest the time—abandon all sense of time, really—and give in to Gatz, an epic theatrical drama performed by New York theater ensemble Elevator Repair Service and hailed by critics as a historical theatrical event. Making its Los Angeles premiere at REDCAT, Gatz takes place over 8 hours and revolves around a man named Nick (played by the Wooster Group’s Scott Shepherd), who comes to work one morning to discover that his computer won't start, so he picks up a paperback copy of The Great Gatsby, found among the office detritus, and begins to read it aloud. His coworkers hardly react at first, but, after a series of strange coincidences, they appear to take on the roles of F. Scott Fitzgerald's enigmatic characters. The story is delivered word for word, and brought to life with startling dramatic effect by a cast of 13 and director John Collins. Suffice it to say, you will know The Great Gatsby like never before upon leaving the theater. But, after spending so much time in the same quarters, you'll also feel as if you know the cast and your fellow audience members, too.
Seating for Gatz is reserved and tickets are available online. Your best bet for parking is to use the Walt Disney Concert Hall lot, which will have a special $9 event parking rate for REDCAT.
Gatz is a seven-hour performance and will have two 15-minute intermissions and an approximately 75-minute dinner break. Expect to spend about 8 hours total.