Moonlight and Magnolias

Rehearsal Schedule

Performance Dates: October 24th, 25th and 26th

Producer: Anna Welfley at 695-4732 or
Director: Jason C. Polunci at 222-0598.

David O. Selznick – Hollywood studio head. Once referred to as MGM's “Boy Wonder” producer, Selznick was the long-suffering son-in-law of the fabled Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM. Bold, brash, but above all, PASSIONATE, Selznick exudes a manic energy as he acts as “director” and “cheerleader” to his struggling writers. A similar type to Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) of The Producers, he must have strong comic skills as well as be able to show a softer, more vulnerable side. With operatic emotions and a sometimes crazed intensity, the charismatic Selznick is remembered as the Producer of such classic films as Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. Age range: APPROX 20-50.

Ben Hecht – Hollywood screenwriter and script doctor. Once a respected journalist, Hecht like many of his peers came to Hollywood to seek his fortune during the Golden Age of movies. Anxious, nervous and easily flustered, Hecht is painfully aware he sacrifices his principles for money. The moral compass of the play, Hecht is Jewish and impassioned about racial intolerance and the impending World War II. Hecht is highly intelligent and slightly tortured with PASSION equal to Selznick, just simply about different ideas. Again, he must have strong comic skills as well as be able to play dramatic moments. Often uncredited, Hecht wrote more than a hundred classic Hollywood films including A Star is Born, Guys and Dolls and many Hitchcock films. Age range: APPROX 25-60.

Victor Fleming – Well-known Hollywood director. Considered to be a “man's man,” Fleming was a flamboyant chauvinist, full of over-the-top masculine bravado. Gallant, confident and very taken with himself, sometimes to the point of being a buffoon. A workhorse who comes through in the clinch, Fleming would have been equally as comfortable as Hollywood Producer or a college football coach. Arrogant and outspoken, he must have strong comic skills, a real ham. An Academy Award-winning director, he was a great fan of swashbuckling action films so it is ironic that he is best remembered as the director of Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. Age range: APPROX 30-60.

Miss Poppenghul – Secretary to Mr. Selznick. The long-suffering secretary; tolerant of her boss's behavior, she nevertheless has her own comic agenda in “playing the game” with these larger-than-life Hollywood personalities. Their only contact with the outside world as they write their script, Miss Poppheghul enjoys being a fly on the wall, having access to the boy's club, and having the opportunity to comment on it with knowing asides to the audience. A Carol Burnett-type with a small amount of dialogue, this part is the perfect opportunity for an actor to prove there are no small parts. With the capacity to steal the show, Miss Poppenghul's understated comic brilliance shines through as she attempts to maintain some order while the lunatics are indeed running the asylum. Age range: APPROX 20-60.