Performers Needed for Theatre Audition "The Great Gatsby"

Ambitious & idealistic, Gatsby is the epitome of the “self-made man.” He is a reticent young millionaire who rose from humble origins in the American Midwest to a position of prominence among the Long Island elite. He hosts lavish parties that he never seems to attend and obsesses over the objects of his desire—especially his longtime love, Daisy. All of Gatsby's actions seem to be driven by that single-minded, even naïve, love. He is the protagonist of the novel, as his actions drive the plot.

Beautiful, frivolous, & rich, Daisy is a young socialite with no troubles to speak of—at least, that's how it seems on the surface. Daisy is self-absorbed, somewhat shallow, & a little vain, but she's also charming and high-spirited. She has an innate understanding of human behavior, and she comprehends the harsh truths of the world even as she hides from them. Her romantic choices seem to be the only choices she makes, but those choices represent her efforts to create the life she really wants.

Nick is a recent Yale graduate who moves to Long Island after getting a job as a bond salesman. He is relatively innocent and mild-mannered, especially when compared to the hedonistic elite among whom he lives. He is Daisy’s cousin, Tom's schoolmate, and Gatsby's new neighbor and friend. Nick is intrigued by Gatsby’s parties and eventually earns an invitation into the inner circle.

Tom is the brutal, arrogant, and wealthy husband of Daisy. He is a deeply unlikeable character for reasons including his careless infidelity, possessive behavior. While we never learn exactly why Daisy married him, the novel suggests that his money and position played a significant role. Tom is the novel’s primary antagonist. Tom is openly engaged in an affair with Myrtle Wilson, but he expects his wife to be faithful and look the other way.

The ultimate party girl, Jordan is a professional golfer and the group’s resident cynic. She’s very much a woman in a man’s world, and her professional successes have been overshadowed by scandal in her personal life. Jordan, who dates Nick for most of the novel, is known to be evasive and dishonest, but she also offers a representation of the new opportunities and expanded social freedoms embraced by women in the 1920s.

Myrtle is the mistress of Tom Buchanan. She engages in the affair in order to escape a dull, disappointing marriage. Her husband, George, is a serious mismatch for her: where she is vivacious and wants to explore the decade’s new freedoms, he is boring and somewhat possessive. Her death – being accidentally hit by a car driven by Daisy – sets into motion the final, tragic act of the story.

George is a car mechanic and the husband of Myrtle, whom he doesn’t seem to understand. George is aware that his wife is having an affair, but he doesn’t know who her partner is. When Myrtle is killed by a car, he assumes that the driver was her lover. Tom tells him that the car belongs to Gatsby.

Wolfsheim is Gatsby's business partner and friend. He is a gambler and has connections to organized crime. He apparently achieved notoriety for fixing the 1919 World Series.