Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre is performing a staged reading June 22 of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless classic “The Great Gatsby.” The showing will be at the Kroc Center at 7:30 p.m. for $25 a ticket.

“It’s a crossover between a regular production and Reader’s Theatre,” said Tracey Vaughan, executive director of the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre, regarding the nature of staged readings. There are still costumes and props, but actors don’t memorize the entire script and there isn’t a full stage set.

“They’re a way to present a piece where we don’t have to put on a full production,” she said.

Although staged readings aren’t as well attended as regular productions, Vaughan said audiences’ reactions have been very positive. The group has done a reading of “Around the World in 80 Days” twice due to popular demand.

Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre usually does musicals, but Vaughan doesn’t think “Gatsby” will have a problem drawing audiences.

“It’s just one of those literary works that’s so hauntingly beautiful, with such an unusual love story,” she said.

Director Tyler Krieg commented that the piece is well-known American literature that adapts well to the stage. “It’s a classic piece, so everyone already knows the name and what to expect.”

Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre has done Gatsby-themed fundraisers in 2014 and 2015 in addition to its usual shows.

“Since we’ve made it part of what we’ve been doing the past couple years, we decided to finally do it,” Krieg said.

“‘Gatsby’ has a ton of symbolism, and I tend to be kind of a sucker for symbolism,” Krieg admitted with a laugh. Fitzgerald deals with a wide variety of themes in his work, Krieg said, touching on social standards, new money and old money, lying about where one comes from and much more.

“To me, (‘Gatsby’) symbolizes all those things by taking a sharp knife to it and really showing people how it is.”

Krieg has been acting his whole life and gradually worked his way up. He has directed now for about seven years but continues to act as well. He came to Coeur d’Alene and the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre in 2014 from Shreveport, La., to pursue more administration-style jobs.

The Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre has been performing in Coeur d’Alene since 1968. As of 2014, it performs an average of three main stage productions, two staged readings and one concert. The group consists of talented locals, many of whom its website says have gone on to films, television and Broadway stages.

Tickets can be purchased at cdasummertheatre.com, or by calling the box office at (208) 660-2958.