‘Moonlight’ shines on ‘Gone with the Wind’

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Victorian Players will present “Moonlight and Magnolias,” the mostly true story of the re-writing of “Gone with the Wind.”

The comic play, written by Ron Hutchinson and directed by Marlene Menaldi Strollo, opens Friday and runs for six performances over two consecutive weekends.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.

The theater is at 702 Mahoning Ave. Tickets are $12 ($9 for students and senior citizens). For reservations, call 330-746-5455.

“Moonlight and Magnolias” is a witty farce that paints a portrait of legendary movie producer David O. Selznick and his collaborators. It provides some inside scoop on the how “Gone with the Wind” was made.

The story starts in 1939, and Hollywood is abuzz. Selznick (played by Terry Shears) has shut down production of his new epic, “Gone with the Wind” because the screenplay just isn’t working.

Pressured by the film’s stars, gossip columnists and his powerful father-in-law, Louis B. Mayer, Selznick sends for famed screenwriter Ben Hecht (played by Bill Finley) and formidable director Victor Fleming (Nick Mulichak), pulling him off the set of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Summoning both to his office, Selznick locks the doors, closes the shades, and on a diet of bananas and peanuts, the three men labor for five days to fashion a screenplay that will become the blueprint for one of the most successful and beloved films of all time.

Heleena Huncik plays the secretary, Miss Poppenghull.

“Moonlight and Magnolias” contains adult language and is suitable for a PG-13 audience.