Three members of Actor’s Equity, the prestigious association of professional actors, will perform “Moonlight at Magnolias,” the hilarious comedy by Ron Hutchison about the writing of the script for “Gone With The Wind” February 24 thru March 11 at the Carmel Community Playhouse, 14299 Clay Terrace Blvd, Suite 140 in Carmel.
The three actors, Daniel Scharbrough, Tom Beeler, and Stephen Hunt, all well-known regional actors, first brought the mad cap and near mayhem of “Moonlight and Magnolias” to life at the Theater on the Square in Indianapolis and formed a theater company for the specific purpose of reprising their roles at the Carmel Community Playhouse.
“I love this play, my fellow actors, and this playhouse,” Scharbrough, who last appeared at the Carmel Community Playhouse playing the lead in CCP’s 2010 production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning, “How I Learned to Drive,” said.
“The Carmel Community Playhouse is almost unique in that the nearness of the audience to the stage creates a very intimate theatrical experience for both the audience and the actors,” he continued. “After ‘How I Learned to Drive,” I really wanted to find a vehicle that would allow me to return here. I couldn’t be happier ‘Moonlight and Magnolias’ turned out to be that vehicle.”
“Moonlight and Magnolias” is a fictionalized account of an intense five day period during which legendary film producer, David O. Selznick, locked himself, screenwriter Ben Hecht, and director Victor Fleming in a studio office to write the screenplay for “Gone with the Wind’ which is to start filming the following week. The only problem is that Hecht only read the first page of the book and didn’t much like that. What follows is intense conflict between massive egos and commentary on everything from movie making to racism and 1930s society all laced with rapid-fire comedy.
“Frankly, my dear, this is one funny play,” the New York Daily News raved, “…a rip-roaring farce…(with) witty, pointed dialogue and hilarious situations…”
“There’s an old expression that goes, ‘Everybody likes sausage but nobody want to see how it’s made,’” Beeler said, “This show is the exception to that rule.”
This play contains adult language and may not be suitable for children younger than 14 years of age.
“Moonlight and Magnolias” will be performed February 24 through March 11 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors 62 and older and students. They can be purchased online at http://www.carmel playhouse.com or by calling the box office at (317) 815-9387.
