The Jazz Age

"The Jazz Age" finishing up its run at 59E59 Theater is an intense portrayal of an alcoholic, jittery, diffident yet always hopeful F. Scott Fitzgerald, quick-tempered and quick-witted Ernest Hemingway, and fatefully erotic Zelda Sayre. As a huge fan of their novels but unfamiliar to their personal lives, I was able to draw from the Fitzgerald and Hemingway stage personae the voice in their literature. F. Scott's relationship with Zelda is a great explanation for the weaknesses of his alter ego Amory Blaine when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex. Hemingway's writing effortlessly captures each moment in its time and I was surprised to learn the source of his realism stems from frustration with a fabricated world, particularly the Parisian society of the 1920s, the setting for a large portion of the play. The performances were passionate and the script was astoundingly sexual. The relationship between these characters is as fascinating as the individuals themselves.