Synopsis
The Last Tycoon
Simon Levy from F Scott Fitzgerald
Published by Dramatists Play Service
6 Male 3 Female
Monroe Stahr - loosely based on legendary producer Irving Thalberg - is in a fight with Pat Brady - loosely based on movie mogul Louis B. Mayer - over artistic control of his movies
The "Boy Wonder" is only 36 and he's the most celebrated producer in Hollywood, but already the corporate men are ready to throw him over if he doesn't turn a profit
In a world where money is God, Art is seldom discussed and rarely worshipped
So when Stahr decides to make his masterpiece the "Shakespeare Project" as a tribute to his dead wife - knowing full well it will lose money - Brady and the Money Men are determined to bring him down
And they stand a good chance - Stahr has a bad heart from a childhood illness and his doctor tells him if he doesn't slow down, he'll be "dead in six months"
But Stahr is a man obsessed - with movies, with illusion, with memories of his dead wife
And with a mysterious, enigmatic woman he meets on the back lot after an earthquake nearly destroyed his studio ...
Reviews
"Wonderful! Exquisite! Stunning! Simon Levy has successfully adapted Fitzgerald's compelling story for the stage ... he has kept the spirit alive in a way that makes this adaptation not only a companion piece to the novel but almost a greater story than Fitzgerald had a chance to imagine ... " ~ BackStage West/Drama-Logue
" ... plays well to Hollywood's glamour ... It all makes for a stylish production" ~ LA Times