Moonlight and Magnolias: Lee Street theatre opens 17th season with ‘Gone with the Wind’ comedy

Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 8, 2024

“He has a heroine that doesn’t have the class to be a hooker. Ashley Wilkes is a pantywaist. The rooting interest is Gable but not even Gable can pull this off!”

Debuting this Friday, Lee Street theatre’s 17th season opener is a fast-paced, tightly wound comedy about how one of the greatest films of all time “Gone With the Wind” almost did not get made.

Legendary producer David O. Selznick has shut down production of his new epic, “Gone with the Wind,” a film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s novel. The screenplay, you see, just doesn’t work. So what’s an all-powerful movie mogul to do? While fending off the film’s stars, gossip columnists and his own father-in-law, Selznick sends a car for famed screenwriter Ben Hecht and pulls formidable director Victor Fleming from the set of The Wizard of Oz. Summoning both to his office, he locks the doors, closes the shades, and on a diet of bananas and peanuts, the three men labor over five days to fashion a screenplay that will become the blueprint for one of the most successful and beloved films of all time.

“This show leaves your sides in stitches,” Executive Artistic Director and Production Director Rod Oden said. “These four performers are whirlwinds as they mimic movie performers’ bad performances, bad accents and bad controversial moments. Your head will be spinning at the speed and intensity of the comedy in this show. The cast really brings to life this show in a very entertaining and thoughtful way. You will be thrown back to the comedy of Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges instantly. By the end you are rooting with them to cross the finish line and make it happen.”

Featuring a local cast, including Matthew Ensley as David O. Selznick;  John Colby Britt as Ben Hecht; Ryan Miles as Victor Fleming; and Jacquelyn Loy as Miss Poppenguhl, this production includes direction by Oden, technical direction by Kelly Sandoval, production co-design by Oden and Sandoval, scenic painting by Caitlyn Brown, stage management by Kenzie Cloninger, and crew work by James and Lucas Oden.

Performances of Lee Street Theatre’s production of “Moonlight and Magnolias” are Aug. 9 – 24. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and a matinee Sunday, Aug. 18 performance will open at 2:30 p.m.  To purchase tickets please visit leestreet.org or call the box office at 704-870-8008 to get them while they last. This performance includes the use of some mild adult language, and period-specific non-tobacco smoking.