2009-2010 (61st)

Moonlight & Magnolias  March 5th - 20th, 2010 A Comedy by Ron Hutchinson  Producer: James Gauerke  Director: Bettsy Gauerke  Rating: This comedy recommended for ages 13 & up CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION! If you love the arts and entertainment, it's hard to resist the appeal of a backstage story. When the story involves the making of the most popular movie of all time, it may be impossible not to enjoy the tale. Moonlight and Magnolias sneaks us into the office of legendary producer David O. Selznick during a week when his production of Gone with the Wind is in deep trouble. George Cukor has been fired as director and the umpteenth draft of a script has proven to be unworkable. Selznick has suspended shooting and the entire cast and crew are being paid $50,000 a day while he figures out what to do next. Early on a Monday morning in February 1939, Selznick meets with the screenwriter Ben Hecht to offer him $15,000 for a complete rewrite of Sidney Howard's screenplay. The main problem is, Hecht hasn't read the novel, isn't impressed with Selznick's synopsis of it and thinks the picture's bound to be a turkey. Selznick pulls the director Victor Fleming off the soon-to-wrap Wizard of Oz and sequesters the director and writer with himself in his office, with bananas and peanuts their only sustenance, to knock out a workable screenplay by the end of the week.  Cast David O. Selznick..........Matthew Hardesty Ben Hecht.......................Jeff Wherley Victor Fleming................Shane Pyle Miss Poppenghul...........Caroline Heading