Valley Players present radio play version of ‘The Great Gatsby’

The Valley Players will present The Great Gatsby: A Live Radio Play Oct. 7-23 at the Valley Players Theater, 4254 Main Street in Waitsfield at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.

The show will be styled as a 1940s live radio broadcast, with an ensemble of six actors bringing to life more than two dozen characters from the novel. Sound effects will be created live on stage and the show will be punctuated by 40s-era commercials.

The show was adapted for the stage by Joe Landry and draws from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved classic, telling the story of triumph and tragedy that reflects the decadence of the Jazz Age and the perils of the American Dream.

The cast includes Aric Brown (Middlesex) as Jay Gatsby; Sarah Debouter (Waterbury) as Daisy Buchanan and others; Tom Jaques (Barre) as Tom Buchanan and others; David Rapp (Montpelier) as Nick Carraway; and Charlotte Robinson and Marci Robinson (both of Warren) playing multiple roles. Kohl Comtesse (Montpelier) is the foley artist for the show, using an arsenal of props to create the sounds needed to embellish the story. Ashley Hall (Warren) and Susan Loynd (Fayston) serve as stage managers. The set, which will reflect a 1940s radio studio, is constructed by Doug Bergstein (Warren); musical accompaniment is composed by Kevin Connors and is performed by Daniel Bruce (East Montpelier), and the production is directed by Shannon Sanborn (Barre).

“The audience can expect to be swept back into the golden age of radio,” said Sanborn. “Don’t miss your chance to experience what it was like to be in a 1940s studio audience.”

Tickets are available in advance with a credit card or by reservation by calling 802-583-1674. For reservations, cash or check is preferred.