Hilarious Live Theatre

March 29, 2016 Showcase, Theatre No comments

Moonlight and Magnolias comes to Brunswick Little Theatre

BY: JEFFREY STITES

The year is 1939. MGM Studio Executive Producer, David O. Selznick, has stopped production of Gone With The Wind because he doesn’t like the script. Facing costs of $50,000 a day while shut down is a small fortune in Depression-era America.

David then brings in legendary screenwriter Ben Hecht and big time Hollywood director Victor Fleming to revamp the script. He locks these men in his office for five days, feeding them nothing but peanuts and bananas, until they churn out the script of what would become a cinematic classic.

This is the story coming to Brunswick Little Theatre’s Mainstage this month with their production of Moonlight and Magnolias, running April 15, 16, 22 and 23 at 7:30 and April 17 and 24 at 3:00 at the BLT theatre, 8068 River Road SE, Southport.

Moonlight and Magnolias is directed by Eben French Mastin, last seen on the Brunswick Little Theatre stage perform- ing the title role in Big Dawg Productions’ The Hermit of Fort Fisher in 2014. Mastin, a thirty-five year veteran of stage, screen and television, has over one hundred stage credits to his name, calls this show “a director’s dream” because of the small but talented cast he has gotten to work with. Mastin is joined by fellow Hermit of Fort Fisher alumni Richard Davis, Hal Cosec and Paul “Elie” Pittenger (also a long-time BLT actor) along with Kathy Cagney, who acted alongside Mastin in BLT’s collection of one- acts, Funny Little Thing Called Love, last year.

“Directing a show with a cast of talented, experienced actors is almost like cheating,” said Mastin, “Why? Because, the more experienced, the better instincts. By this, I basically mean they knew or felt when it was time to stand, sit, cross the stage, etc. They were doing it before I could get the words out of my mouth. With this kind of talent, the play almost directs itself.”

Tickets for Moonlight and Magnolias are $20 for adults and $12 for students with an ID, and are on sale now at the Ricky Evans Gallery, 211 N. Howe Street, Southport, and online at www.brunswicklittlethetare.com.

This show contains some adult language and is not suitable for small children, but anyone who loves Gone With The Wind, who has ever wondered how a novel was turned into a movie, or who simply enjoys hilarious live theatre will certainly have a great time.