Since the auditions several months ago, members in the upcoming production of “The Great Gatsby” have been working hard to prepare for the show, which opens on Feb. 13, according to Maggie Cassidy, director of “The Great Gatsby” and performing arts teacher.

Cassidy, who selected the cast, said, “We have been rehearsing four days a week since the middle of November. (At the end of January), we will then rehearse five to six times a week for three to four hours.”

According to Eric Stockholm, actor portraying Tom Buchanan and senior, most of the play’s rehearsals consist of going over several pages of the script.

“We’ve also spent some time working on developing our characters and making sure that we understand exactly what is happening in the script,” Stockholm said.

According to Kristin Barnes, actress portraying Myrtle Wilson and junior, audience members will be able to see several important characters in this production including Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby, portrayed by senior Laura Ellsworth, senior Gus Leagre and junior Duncan Moran, respectively.

Barnes said some of the more challenging parts are portraying the characters’ personalities and making them appear real to the audience.

She said, “Each character has so many layers to (him), and if you try to fit (him) into some specific niche, you won’t capture all of the layers. They have to be realistic, and real people don’t normally fit stereotypes perfectly.”

From Feb. 13 to 15, students will be able to watch “The Great Gatsby” and will see how each member developed his or her character. Stockholm said the play should be little less than two hours long, but exact length is still tentative.

Barnes said the play should be exciting and fun for the audience because The Great Gatsby has become “a pop culture icon.” It should also be relatable to many members of the audience since some juniors are required to read the book in AP English Literature and Composition and IB English.

The play is based closely on the book of the same title written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both Barnes and Stockholm said a few lines in the play are taken directly from the book.

Though there are several movie adaptations of the book as well, Cassidy said she has not watched any of them since she does not want her vision of the book to be influenced by the ideas presented in the movies.

Stockholm said this adaptation is the best one so far, especially because of the cast and crew’s hard work.

He said, “It really does represent the classic in a way that would make Fitzgerald proud.”

Although there are many similarities to earlier adaptations, according to Barnes, there are a number of unique elements that audiences can expect, including costumes and dance numbers.

Barnes said, “The music is great, and there’s even a couple big dances in some of the parties. The costumes will be fantastic. It’s such an interesting period of fashion.”

“The show will include beautiful costumes, put together by the wonderful Cindra Venturella,” Stockholm added.

In addition, Barnes mentioned the show’s layout is something to look forward to, saying the play “blends into one long scene” which transitions with various visual and sound effects.

Cassidy also said, “We will have a live saxophone player on stage mingling with the actors and (moving with the) scene changes.”

With so many expectations, Barnes said she feels intimidated; however, both she and Stockholm said they look forward to performing for audiences in February.

“We’re trying to make the show our own without disappointing the public,” Barnes said.