Fox Valley Rep comedy depicts chaos behind 'Gone with the Wind'
Fox Valley Repertory begins its second season with the comical glimpse behind the creation of the screenplay “Gone With the Wind” with Ron Hutchinson's “Moonlight and Magnolias.”
Directed by Dennis Zacek, former Tony Award-winning artistic director of Victory Gardens, performances will take place at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles.
“Moonlight and Magnolias” will preview Thursday, Jan. 19 through Friday, Jan. 27. The show will open Saturday, Jan. 28, and continue through Sunday, March 11.
The year was 1939 in Hollywood, and the movie “Gone With the Wind” was in production. But just three weeks later, legendary producer David O. Selznick closed the set and fired director George Cukor. With just five days to get back on track, Selznick hired screenwriter Ben Hecht to write a new script from Margaret Mitchell's best-selling 1,037-page novel. One problem though — Hecht had never read the novel. This left Selznick no choice but to pull director Victor Fleming from “Wizard of Oz” and lock him in a room with Hecht and himself until the script was complete.
This sets the scene for Ron Hutchinson's comedy of what happened when these three men were locked in Selznick's office for five long days to write the new 130-page script, acting out the memorable moments and characters from what is now considered to be one of the finest films of all time and winner of 10 Academy Awards. Audience members get to enjoy the ride as they experience the behind-the-scenes glimpse of “Gone With the Wind” as seen through the eyes of these comical and desperate creators in 1939 Hollywood.
“Moonlight and Magnolias” showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Thursday performances are available at 8 p.m. Jan. 19 and 26; and 2 p.m. Feb. 2 and 16. The show is rated PG-13 due to strong language.
For those with peanut allergies, peanuts and peanut shells are an integral part of this production and will be used onstage.
Tickets are priced at $32 on Fridays (and limited Thursday performances), and at $42 on Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner show packages are available from $52.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and is sponsored in part by the Daily Herald and Delnor Express Care.
For tickets, call the Pheasant Run Box Office at (630) 584-6342, or visit ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit foxvalleyrep.org.