Beneficial Conversations at The Great Gatsby Talkback
Blog By: Greta Spagnardi
“That’s the true gift. Just sharing the stage with these people.” That’s what Leanne Robertson (Jordan Baker) learned about herself from performing on tour with The Great Gatsby. “When you are playing opposite people who are phenomenal, it makes you want to be phenomenal. And not in a competitive way. Just in a way, ‘I want to support my cast and rise to the occasion.’”
After seeing the spectacular spectacle that was The Great Gatsby, the Ambassadors got the opportunity to have a talkback with three cast members, asking them questions and getting insight into life in the performance industry. They told us about their unique audition processes to land their role in this show and some of their must-haves for life on tour.
Lila Coogan (Myrtle Wilson) told us, “Word of mouth is good. Be nice to people and easy to work with because that’s how I got my job, and I’m thrilled to be here.” Tally Sessions (George Wilson) added, “People vet people in any capacity of the theatre, no matter what department you are working for. You have to have the skill set and talent to do it, but I think equally important is to be kind to others and realize that it all happens in a collaborative effort.” This stood out to me because one of the reasons I love being a DPAC Ambassador is getting to know all the lovely people that work behind the scenes or volunteer to create magical nights for guests at DPAC. Making connections in this industry is so important because you never know who you will work with again. And to Sessions’ point, being kind to everyone you work with will set you up for success in the future.
One Ambassador asked the cast what they do to keep the show fresh and find new discoveries, considering they perform it so often, and the responses were super insightful. Lila Coogan told us that she chooses one line to deliver differently each night to avoid falling into a pattern. Leanne Robertson mentioned, “depending on how a line is delivered to you, you have to answer truthfully in the moment; otherwise, it doesn’t read.” This technique by Sanford Meisner is exactly what I’ve learned in my theatre class at school, so it was cool to hear how actors on tour incorporate that into their performances.
Overall, this talkback was very beneficial, especially for us Ambassadors that want to pursue a life in the theatre. I am very grateful for the cast members who stayed back to talk to us after their wonderful performance, and to DPAC for creating this opportunity for us! This is certainly an experience I will never forget.
