Art imitates life in Marietta museum & theatre partnership

MARIETTA, Ga. - Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone With The Wind is filled with fiery characters, dramatic situations, and unforgettable dialogue. So it must have been a breeze to adapt for the film version, right? 

Frankly, my dears…not at all.

The story of how producer David O. Selznick, screenwriter Ben Hecht, and director Victor Fleming hashed out the film’s screenplay over a marathon, five-day writing session within a locked office is told in the play Moonlight and Magnolias, which opens at Marietta’s New Theatre in the Square Friday, January 17th. Written by Ron Hutchinson and directed by Prodan Dimov, the play is being presented in partnership with the Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum at Historic Brumby Hall, which houses an extensive collection of artifacts related to the film and author Margaret Mitchell.

And speaking of…you’ve seen the museum’s director, Connie Sutherland, on Good Day Atlanta in the past (we were with her for the film’s 80th anniversary celebration last June), so you already know that she is a true Gone With The Wind expert. She happens to be acquainted with Marcella Rabwin, longtime assistant to David O. Selznick and the woman who inspired the character of Miss Poppenghul in Moonlight and Magnolias. So, now, art is imitating life as Sutherland takes on the role for this production!  

Starring alongside Sutherland in Moonlight and Magnolias are Chad Darnell (who plays Selzick), Joseph Quimby (as Ben Hecht) and Chuck Morris (Victor Fleming).  Performances continue through February 1st, and ticket prices range from $22.50 to $30. Marietta’s New Theatre in the Square is located at 11 Whitlock Avenue in Marietta.

A famous woman once said, “Tomorrow is another day” – but we couldn’t wait until tomorrow to learn more about this exciting partnership between the museum and theatre. So we spent the morning at both institutions, learning more about Moonlight and Magnolias.