‘The Great Gatsby' at 100: An All-American Enigma
'The Great Gatsby,' published 100 years ago this month, is F. Scott Fitzgerald's most perfectly realized work of art. It reveals a new and confident mastery of his material, a fascinating if sensational plot, deeply interesting characters, a silken style that conveys nuances of mood and feeling, and a Keatsian ability to evoke a romantic atmosphere. Fitzgerald portrays the theme of corrupted idealism and satirizes attractive but vacuous people who 'played polo and were rich together.'
When the narrator and outsider Nick Carraway first sees the enchanting Daisy Buchanan, she asks if friends miss her in Chicago and he feels obliged to offer her witty flattery: 'The whole town is desolate. All the cars have the left rear wheel painted black as a mourning wreath, and there's a persistent wail all night along the north shore.' Though Daisy, married to Tom Buchanan, has social status, a pretty daughter and everything money can buy, she's spoiled and bored. Echoing T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' ('What shall we do tomorrow? / What shall we ever do?'), published in 1922, she asks, 'What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon . . . and the day after that, and the next thirty years?'
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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Harbor Stage's ‘The Bohemian' finds something new to say about a Willa Cather short story
Advertisement Withers has structured 'The Bohemian' as a combination of narration and enactment. She and Fielding recite large chunks of expository text while also transitioning into a host of characters. It's impressive how smoothly and persuasively Withers and Fielding inhabit so many different people, using only changes in voice and affect. (It is somewhat akin to 'Gatz,' the adaptation of 'The Great Gatsby' by In 'The Bohemian,' a man named Nils Ericson returns to his hometown after many years away. The love of his life, Clara Vavrika, has married his brother, Olaf. Nils sets out to persuade her to run away with him. Olaf, meanwhile, is preoccupied with the possibility that Nils might be in possession of a second will drafted by their recently deceased father. Advertisement Along with charged family dynamics, Withers delivers snapshots of the community's social hierarchy and of a hard-heartedness when, for example, Nils reacts indifferently after his mother tells him of a neighbor's death by suicide. Justin Lahue's scenic design consists of a kitchen with an unusual feature: a crop of dried wheat in a horizontal line at the back of the stage. A certain menace often lurks around the edges — and sometimes smack-dab in the center — of a Withers play. Her recent 'dindin' is a murky psychological mystery about a dinner party that goes seriously awry. (It was made into a film that is now streaming on Amazon Prime and Apple TV Plus.) ' Given the number of overlapping storylines, 'The Bohemian' could benefit from an overview at the beginning. But Withers and the rest of the Harbor Stage ensemble know their audience. A sense of theater-making as a means for building community is part of the DNA of the artist-led company. Harbor Stage walks the walk. 'If you're not in this for love, it usually shows, and not in a good way,' Withers once told an interviewer. During Thursday night's performance, Withers and Fielding took turns mixing ingredients in a bowl and kneading dough. And yes, there was a payoff for the audience at the play's end in the form of a loaf of bread they got to sample. Advertisement THE BOHEMIAN Directed and adapted by Brenda Withers from Willa Cather's 'The Bohemian Girl.' At Harbor Stage Company, Wellfleet. Through July 5. Tickets $25-$50. 508-349-6800, Don Aucoin can be reached at
Business Insider
22-06-2025
- Business Insider
11 historic mansions from HBO's 'The Gilded Age' that you can visit in real life
HBO's "The Gilded Age" films scenes in real historic mansions from the time period. Several mansions once owned by the Vanderbilt family in Newport, Rhode Island, appear in the show. Gilded Age mansions in Tarrytown and Sands Point, New York, also serve as film sets for the series. If you weren't an heiress, coal magnate, or railroad tycoon, you probably wouldn't have made the guest list at Gilded Age parties. Those gatherings were reserved for the wealthiest, most powerful members of society at the turn of the 20th century. However, visitors of all economic brackets can visit many of the historic opulent estates that serve as film sets for HBO's show " The Gilded Age." The show shoots at real mansions from the time period, many of which are now museums, to create authentic portrayals of the characters' exorbitant wealth. Season three of "The Gilded Age" premieres June 22 on HBO. Here are 11 Gilded Age mansions where the show filmed that offer tours of their magnificent properties. Rosecliff, a 30-room mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, was modeled after King Louis XIV's Grand Trianon palace in Versailles. Theresa "Tessie" Fair Oelrichs, whose family's silver fortune earned her the nickname "Bonanza Heiress," built Rosecliff in 1902 as her summer home. Admission to tours of the 28,800-square-foot property can be purchased through the Preservation Society of Newport County. Fans of "The Gilded Age" will recognize the ceiling of Rosecliff's ballroom from the show's opening credits. Rosecliff features the largest private ballroom in Newport, measuring 40 feet by 80 feet. Scenes from "The Great Gatsby," "27 Dresses," and "Amistad" have also been filmed there. One of the grandest Gilded Age mansions in Newport, the Breakers spans 138,300 square feet and belonged to one of the era's wealthiest families. Cornelius Vanderbilt II, heir to his grandfather's railroad fortune, built the Breakers as a summer home in 1895. The name "Breakers" comes from the sound of waves breaking against the shores of the Newport property. The Preservation Society of Newport County manages the mansion as a museum. Tours can be booked online. Several rooms in the Breakers were used as film sets for "The Gilded Age," including the music room and the billiard room. The billiard room features a wrought-iron and bronze lighting fixture so heavy that it had to be attached to the structural beams of the home. In a scene in "The Gilded Age," George Russell played a game of billiards in the room after a dinner party. The music room also served as a film set for "The Gilded Age," appearing as the Russells' ballroom where they hosted Gladys' debut ball at the end of season one. Marble House in Newport was a 39th birthday present from William K. Vanderbilt to his then-wife, Alva, in 1892. Marble House is named for the 500,000 cubic feet of marble featured throughout the home. When Alva Vanderbilt divorced her husband in 1895, she maintained ownership of Marble House and custody of their three children. She then married one of her neighbors, Oliver H.P. Belmont, in 1896, and became Alva Belmont. After his death, she leveraged her fortune to fund causes in the women's suffrage movement and hosted suffrage conventions at Marble House. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates tours of the property. In "The Gilded Age," scenes in George Russell's bedroom are filmed in the room that belonged to Alva and William's daughter, Consuelo Vanderbilt. Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport was originally built by merchant William Shepard Wetmore in 1852, then remodeled by his son in the 1870s. George Wetmore, who inherited the Italianate-style villa when his father died in 1862, served as the governor of Rhode Island and as a US senator representing the state. Tours of the home are available through the Preservation Society of Newport County. Rooms at Chateau-sur-Mer that appear in "The Gilded Age" include the stair hall and the dining room. Chateau-sur-Mer appears in the show as the home of Mamie Fish, who hosted a doll tea party in the first season. The stair hall is painted with the biblical Tree of Life, and the dining room walls are decorated with wallpaper made of Spanish leather covered in silver. Gilded Age coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind and his wife, Sarah Herminie Berwind, built The Elms in Newport in 1901. The Elms was modeled after the 18th-century French château, Château d'Asnières, and furnished with custom Louis XV-style furniture. The mansion sits on a 10-acre estate, where the Berwinds used to host lavish parties. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates tours of the lavish home. The show films in Sarah Herminie Berwind's bedroom and the mansion's main kitchen. Sarah Herminie Berwind's bedroom appears as Gladys Russell's room in "The Gilded Age," and the main kitchen serves as the Russell family's kitchen where servants gossip and prepare meals. Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, was owned by three prominent Gilded Age families: the Pauldings, the Merritts, and the Goulds. Former New York City Mayor William Paulding and his wife, real-estate heiress Maria Rhinelander Paulding, built the mansion in 1842. Merchant George Merritt bought Lyndhurst Mansion in 1864 and built an addition onto the home, doubling its square footage to 14,000 square feet. Railroad tycoon Jay Gould then purchased it in 1880. In the world of "The Gilded Age," the mansion is home to the characters of Charles and Aurora Fane. "The Gilded Age" has filmed scenes in Lyndhurst Mansion's parlor, dining room, and art gallery. The show also uses the mansion's carriage house as the offices of The New York Globe newspaper and its 67-acre grounds as a stand-in for Central Park. The Hempstead House at Sands Point Preserve on Long Island was built in 1912 by financier Howard Gould. Howard Gould, son of the aforementioned Jay Gould, only lived at Hempstead House for a few years before selling it to Daniel and Florence Guggenheim in 1917. Daniel was the brother of Solomon Guggenheim, for whom the Manhattan museum is named, and Benjamin Guggenheim, who died on the Titanic. Hempstead House is located within Sands Point Preserve, which is open to the public and contains three mansions that can be toured. Tickets for a guided tour of Hempstead House can be purchased at the park's welcome center. You may recognize this room as George Russell's office. George Russell conducted many of his business dealings in this room at Hempstead House, now the home's library. "The Gilded Age" isn't the only project to have filmed here. You may also have seen Hempstead House in "Malcolm X," the 1998 adaptation of "Great Expectations," or "Scent of a Woman." Hunter House was originally built in 1748. Hunter House actually dates back to the colonial times, generations before the Gilded Age began. It even played a role in the Revolutionary War as the headquarters for the French fleet, per The Preservation Society of Newport County. Keeping Hunter House in good shape led to the creation of the Preservation Society in 1945, per the Society's website. There are guided tours held daily (excluding Sundays and Mondays) from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On the show, one of the sitting rooms is used as lawyer Tom Raikes' office. In the show, Raikes' office is in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It's one of the first non-New York City locations we see on the show. Belcourt was built in 1894 for the socialite Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont in Rhode Island. This 50,000-square-feet, 60-room summer home was modeled after King Louis XIII's hunting lodge at Versailles. The property was known for its extensive stables and carriage space, which makes sense: You may recognize his last name from the Belmont Stakes, the annual horse race in Elmont, New York, that was named for his father, August Belmont Sr. Belcourt is open for both guided tours during the day and candlelight walks and ghost tours in the evenings. The property doubles as the summer home of the Astors on "The Gilded Age." In a memorable moment in season one, Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) ends up sneaking around Belcourt (Beechwood, in the show) to avoid a run-in with Mrs. Astor. Westbrook, home of New York attorney and real-estate developer William Bayard Cutting, is located in Oakdale, New York. Westbrook was built in 1886 in the Tudor Revival style. Inside, there are 60 rooms (and 20 fireplaces). Westbrook's main draw, though, is its gardens. The house is now located inside the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, which is home to 691 acres of plants, trails, and more. There are separate guided tours of the arboretum and Westbrook available seasonally. There's also the Hidden Oak Café, which is located inside Westbrook and offers the option to take "Victorian Tea," complete sandwiches, scones, and tea. It was used during season one of the show. The Cuttings were part of the famed "Four Hundred" list, which was published by The New York Times in the 1890s. It named the 400 most socially acceptable people living in New York City. So, even though only their house has popped up on the show, the real Cutting family could too. The Glenview Mansion was built in the 1870s in Yonkers, a city in Westchester County, New York. It was built for the financier John Bond Trevor, who was partners with James Boorman Colgate (yes, of those Colgates). After the Trevors sold the home to the city of Yonkers, it became part of the Hudson River Museum, which is still open today. The interior of Glenview was used as the interior of Mrs. Astor's home.
Elle
16-06-2025
- Elle
Miu Miu's New London Store Is Open - Here Are The 14 Best Pieces To Buy And Wear Now
As if we needed an excuse to head for a browse on Bond Street, Miu Miu's redesign of its New Bond Street store has made it less of a 'would be nice' to more of a 'must' visit. Now reopened after a glittering cocktail soirée attended by Sydney Sweeney, Emma Corrin (who recently appeared on our cover in a Miu Miu look) and Alexa Chung, the store is a continuation of the cool-girl aesthetic that has helped the Italian label become one of the world's hottest brands. Step inside the minimalist space and discover an industrial metal floor that lies in contrast to the pale blue walls that are a Miu Miu store signature. Here though, bright jolts of vivid yellow and green shake things up in the same vein the brand does with its ready-to-wear collections. While downstairs is primarily reserved for accessories like bags, shoes, sunglasses, upstairs is where the magic happens and houses its clothes in modular wooden squares, while seating has been designed to feel as though you're rifling through rails at your most stylish friend's equally stylish home. Of course, for all the meticulous attention to detail worth observing in its interiors, we are really going to see the new drops. Namely the product of Catherine Martin (best known for the costumes for Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby and Elvis) and Miu Miu's upcycled collaboration that's available exclusively in the store now, before heading worldwide from 21 June. Or, shop the summer collection ready for your holiday and find new season favourites in cotton poplin, logoed blouson jackets and classic bags given a warm weather makeover. Here are ELLE UK's top Miu Miu picks to walk away with from its freshly lacquered London home. This delicate lace dress is perfect for those that veer towards the more ethereal side of style. Layer over bikinis for an alternative beach cover up, before pairing with sumptuous cashmere in winter. Shop now at Miu Miu, 150, New, Bond St, London W1S 2TU. A sheer dress has become a stalwart of the contemporary wardrobe. This pre-layered option is the ultimate investment piece. A top designed for summer. While away the warmer climes in this upcycled top, paired with great denim shorts and clogs. This halterneck top is the perfect piece to take you from beach days to cocktail bar nights. Keep things slinky and wear with a slip skirt. Miu Miu's signature Beau bag gets a summertime makeover in this nautical palette. Miu Miu Beau Bag The ultimate summer shoe. Miu Miu's clogs are sleek enough for the city, but will feel most at home worn on summer evenings somewhere far away. Miu Miu Patent Leather Clogs No ordinary bracelet, this leather and metal jewellery piece is intended to be worn on the upper arm. Your choice whether to put it over sleeves or on bare arms. Miu Miu Leather And Metal Bracelet A great pleated skirt is a must-have for any Miu Miu girl. This denim option has added laissez faire cachet. Miu Miu Pleated Denim Skirt What's a summer wardrobe without a sweet floral dress? This from Miu Miu is the definitive. Slubbed Poplin Dress This striped T-shirt will bring an air of grunge sensibility to the summer wardrobe. Layer it with florals and lace trims for the push and pull with which it was intended. Miu Miu Cotton Jersey T-shirt A favourite of Miu Miu (Mrs Prada) herself. A full A-line skirt will forever be a part of the Miu Miu uniform. This one is more summer holidays than term time, though. Miu Miu Poplin Printed Skirt Best worn with its matching skirt. This dainty bandeau can be layered over a vest top or, by the brave, worn solo. Miu Miu Poplin Printed Bandeau This style of jacket has become a Miu Miu staple. Buy now, wear forever. Miu Miu Poplin Blouson Jacket Supersize your summer eyewear with these face-filling frames. Miu Miu Ombre Sunglasses Freelancer
