Erasing The Script


This Friday, I acted as Tom Buchanan in my chapter seven skit of The Great Gatsby. Playing Tom in the moment, I wasn’t just filling in for some role or a grade, although I do love a couple points of extra credit now and then. But it’s clear that sometimes the only way to genuinely understand a story is to live it yourself. Performing as Mr. Buchanan allowed me to really take a step inside the book. I was no longer reading lines from a book, I was experiencing real tension, anger, and the heat of confrontation in the room. I didn’t just speak Mr. Buchanan’s lines, I literally became his pride, his jealousy, and I claimed his fear of simply losing control, if you couldn’t already tell by the great acting…

When we first read about Mr. Buchanan, I, and I’m assuming you as well, saw him as a jerk. But now I had the sincere chance to feel exactly what he’d felt, and I realized one thing. His arrogance came from fear. Standing in his shoes made it so clear to me that his anger what just an act of desperation, since his pitch perfect life was breaking apart, and he was clinging to control the only way he even knew how. All along, Mr. Buchanan was hiding his insecurities by acting confident where it seemed right. Just like an eraser can rewrite lines on a page, this skit let me see past the polished script Mr. Buchanan shows to his peers and the world and take a look at the bitter reality of the situation.

From all of this there is one message that comes to the light. Stories, characters, and even everyday people, look different when you live them instead of spectating, so let’s not judge everyone the second we get a chance. When the stage lights fade, Mr. Buchanan’s voice still echoes. Maybe that’s the whole point of Gatsby, that we’re all just trying to act out the versions of ourselves in which we desire others to accept as true.

Comments

  1. Berry’s BlogOctober 12, 2025 at 3:59 PM

    Hi Anthony, I don’t disagree with you that much of Toms issues come from fears, but I do question what exactly those insecurities are. As far as I remember, the book never gives a clear answer to that question. However, I do believe that you hit the nail on the head with your conclusion and I think that holds true in most areas. Also, your acting was really good.

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