The Great Gatsby: A Pegasus Party of Fun
“If there’s anything you want, just ask for it, old sport”- Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby.
Long Island, New York was a different place back in the ‘20s. The Great Gatsby provides every reader or viewer a perspective of what it truly looked like back then, during a time of many successes and many failures…
The Pegasus Production Company has been a staple at CBA for generations. They produce two shows a year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The fall show is usually a drama, while in the spring it is usually a musical. For this year’s fall drama, the award-winning performing arts program took on the story of Gatsby, a man of both mystery and wealth.
There are new precautions this year for the show. Seating is set two seats apart and the audience will have to wear masks. But unlike last year, the cast will not be wearing masks and there will be seats available in every row, allowing more guests to attend the shows.
Even though it is not a musical, there is still a band that performs in the show.
“The background music is pivotal to the storytelling,” student director Ryan Koneval ‘24 said.
As student director, Koneval has a lot of responsibility. He works with specifically the cast on their performances so it is perfect when it comes time for the shows. He also oversees the production and makes sure everything is running smoothly. He works a lot with the stage manager Ian Hoffman ‘23.
“As stage manager, I have to make sure that all of the cast and crew are doing their jobs, as well as taking attendance,” Hoffman said. He and Koneval are both key members of the company and they help make sure the show goes off without a hitch.
Performances and directing is pivotal to the success of any production, including the all-important tech effects. Conor Nardiello ‘24 is one of the select people that are in charge of lights.
“The show will have a lot of tech effects that contribute to the overall mood,” Nardiello said.
Eamon Sullivan ‘23 has been involved with Pegasus for some time and is playing Meyer Wolfsheim in this year’s drama.
“He’s certainly one of the more interesting characters in the show, and I look forward to playing him,” Sullivan said about his role.
It takes a lot of teamwork in many different fields to run a Pegasus show. There’s the tech department, stage crew, set builders, band, cast, and the Pegasus moderator, Mr. Marcos Orozco, to run the show. It’s a project that all members of the company work on non-stop.
Led by Cristian Caamano ‘22 as Jay Gatsby and James Nardiello ‘24 as Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby’s opening night is this Saturday, November 6, at 7 p.m.
Who is this man Gatsby? Find out live from Henderson Theater at CBA…. you can purchase tickets for The Great Gatsby here.
