Moonlight & Magnolias - The Little Theatre of Savannah

Every generation seems to believe that they are the doomed ones. That after them, it is all going downhill. That after (or thanks to) their actions, something will be lost. The first thing they often bring up is the arts. How often have we heard that the theatre, an entity that has existed for millennia, is now dead? Though people are not usually so drastic on this take when it comes to film, the consensus of many has become that it is no longer an art form so much as entertainment. The Little Theatre of Savannah's production of Ron Hutchinson's Moonlight & Magnolias offers the comfort of knowing that people have always felt this way, and will perhaps continue to feel this way for eternity.

Set in the office of producer David O. Selznick, Moonlight & Magnolias is a fictional account of five days during which Selznick, writer Ben Hecht, and director Victor Fleming starved, fought, typed and possibly lost their minds. All to create the film adaptation of Gone With The Wind, arguably one of the greatest epics ever brought to the silver screen. Directed admirably by Grace Diaz Tootle, this production is one of the finest I have seen the Little Theatre undertake. Tootle has assembled a brilliant cast, each one suited for his or her character.

As Selznick, Sonny Schneider brings an energy to his performance as a famous producer who has reached the end of his rope, sure that a failure with this film will be the end of his career. Selznick is clearly a man of power, but Schneider also brings with him a sympathy that cannot be denied: Selznick may be a business man, but he has not lost his love for the art to which he has dedicated his life. The chemistry between Schneider and his partners in crime is outstanding. Louis Clausi brings the most humanity to the stage as the idealistic scriptwriter Ben Hecht, who tries desperately to keep Selznick true to his Jewish roots and warns against creating any message of intolerance, seeing dark clouds on the horizon (the year is 1939). As director Victor Fleming, Les Taylor is hilarious as he slips slowly into hysteria. Taylor and Schneider's antics reenacting the book for Hecht's benefit are among the most memorable in the production. Last, but certainly not least, Jennifer Doubleday is absolutely charming as Miss Poppenghul, Selznick's overworked secretary.

In our own lives, exhaustion becomes frustration and frustration becomes hysteria, and it's some comfort to know that this feeling is universal, even in the world of motion pictures, where everything seems to gleam with perfection. Even better is if you can laugh at the manic antics of those involved. The Little Theatre of Savannah is to be commended for an excellent production.