Hollywood at its most brawny and colorful is depicted in “Moonlight and Magnolias,” which will be presented by Chicago Street Theatre April 13-28 in Valparaiso.
Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. April 22 and 7:30 p.m. April 26.
“Moonlight and Magnolias” is a look at the intertwining of two of the film world’s most treasured showpieces, both released in 1939.
The play follows producer David O. Selznick, portrayed by Martin Weisenbacher, as he halts production of his epic, “Gone With the Wind,” which is burdened with a dysfunctional screenplay.
The Hollywood mogul pulls imposing director Victor Fleming from the set of “The Wizard of Oz” in an attempt to remedy the situation.
Acclaimed screenwriter Ben Hecht, played by Dexter Pritchard, also is enlisted, as a creative threesome is formed.
The trio hunkers down “with nothing but bananas and peanuts” for a marathon stretch of work that is designed to mold a workable screenplay for what will become a timeless movie, said LuAnne Pezel, co-director of “Moonlight and Magnolias.”
“I personally think that the biggest challenge was the amount of verbiage that takes place with only three men,” said Pezel, noting the entire cast has only four performers.
“It’s very dialogue heavy,” Dean Johanson, a Griffith resident, who portrays Fleming, said.
“I try to approach him much like the real Victor Fleming; he was a very commanding person, very dominant, very athletic,” Johanson, 56, said. “I enjoy the role immensely.”
As Johanson sees it, Fleming simply stands his ground.
“He’s not going to take any guff from anybody; he’s going to make sure that his opinion is known,” Johanson assured.
“Being set in the late ’30s, it’s pretty politically incorrect at times, so it could be a little bit of a surprise to the audience, but it’s a hilarious production,” Johanson said.
The juicy premise confines a trio of film-industry heavyweights to a room for five days, while throwing sleep deprivation and food deprivation into the creative process of “writing the script to ‘Gone With the Wind,'” according to Pezel, a 57-year-old Portage resident.
In the end, the film that stars Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh wondrously ends up “becoming one of the greatest iconic movies of all time,” said Pezel, who is sharing directing duties with Valparaiso’s Caroline Rau.
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Valerie Balogh plays Miss Poppenguhl.
Based on actual events, “this tale of desperation and genius makes for an engaging and hysterical night of entertainment,” according to promotional material for “Moonlight and Magnolias” from Chicago Street Theatre.
“Fleming was pulled off of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ to actually direct ‘Gone With the Wind,'” Johanson related.
Fleming had directed enough of “The Wizard of Oz” to earn directorial credit for it.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
‘Moonlight and Magnolias’
When: April 13-28
Where: Chicago Street Theatre, 154 W. Chicago St., Valparaiso
Tickets: $17, $20, $30
Information: 219-464-1636, ext. 1; www.chicagostreet.org