Gatz: Theater Meets Literature in Epic Reading

0:00In Adelaide, it's March 14th, and here's what is going on. Imagine sitting in a plane office where one guy picks up the great Gatsby and starts reading it aloud from the very first page. That's the start of Gats, a groundbreaking theater production by the New York Group Elevator Repair Service. Over eight and a half hours, actor Scott Shepherd reads the entire classic novel word for word, turning a simple reading session into a full blown performance. At first, co-workers bustle around ignoring him, handling files, calls, and desks. But as the story unfolds, they slip into the roles of Gatsby's characters, acting out scenes while still doing their office tasks. Shepherd becomes narrator Nick Caraway, and everyone in the space gets pulled into Fitzgerald's world of wealth, parties, and heartbreak. This isn't Elevator Repair Services' first big literary project. They've tackled Ulysses by James Joyce, the sound in the fury, by William Fockner, and a take on himming ways, the sun also rises.

1:00Gats stands out for its total fidelity to the book and epic length, with two 20-minute breaks and a 90-minute dinner pause to keep everyone going. Audiences love the mix of humor in the early party scenes, and the deeper tragedy later on. Shepherd's steady rhythmic reading keeps things engaging night after night, even on tour. It takes real endurance from cast and viewers alike. Since premiering in 2006, Gats has circled the globe with much of the same team. It captures the magic of how reading sparks imagination, proving experimental theater and great literature still pack houses after all these years. This DNA story is thanks to our sponsor details in the description. No earbuds, no headbands, no awkward sleeping positions, just a pillow that plays your sound, S-O-L-I. Once the end, S-O-L-I.