“Moonlight & Magnolias,” Fri./Sat., Dec. 9-10, 16-17, 8 p.m., The Ramada Inn (820 Northern Blvd., Clarks Summit). Tickets: $10 GA, $7 students/seniors. Info: 570.851.9479, 352.6226, threewitches2010@aol.com.
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Even if you’ve never seen the full three hours and 40 minutes of the classic movie, “Gone With the Wind,” you’re likely still familiar with this infamous quote by the debonair Rhett Butler as he embarks into the sunset, leaving behind a crushed Scarlett O’Hara.
How “Gone With the Wind” was transformed from a novel to the big screen was quite a process and a great story that many may not know. Three Witch Productions is presenting “Moonlight & Magnolias,” the back story of the iconic film, at The Ramada Inn in Clarks Summit starting Friday, Dec. 9. The production will also mark the final community theater performance in NEPA for local veteran and “Heynabonics” pro, Greg Korin.
“After being entrenched in the NEPA theater scene for 20 years, I wanted to do one last community theater production before I left,” said Korin.
In “Moonlight & Magnolias,” “producer David O. Selznick (Korin) is unhappy with how the movie is going, so he replaces the director with Victor Fleming (Bill Amos), calls in script doctor Ben Hecht (David Giordano) and locks them in his office for five days with nothing to eat but bananas and peanuts,” explained Three Witches co-founder Brink Powell. “Within those five days, Selznick and Fleming act out the book for Hecht, who never read it, and by the end of this arduous process movie history is made.”
A skillfully blended cast creates a dynamic performance on the small stage as cast members are not just costars but co-workers in real life.
“We all work in the marketing department at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs — and it was not planned that way,” said Korin. “I believe this is the first time that all of the leads in a local show have all worked for the same company in the same department.”
“They all fit their roles extremely well and play off each other beautifully,” said Powell. “The fourth member of our cast, Kim Schuetrum, plays the secretary Miss Poppenghul, and all together, this cast really is a director’s dream come true.”
Presenting “Moonlight & Magnolias” was a no brainer for Three Witch Productions since 2011 marks the 75th anniversary for the novel, “Gone With the Wind.” Also being a new theater company on the scene limits the budget for an extravagant set, which is not required for this comedic production.
“It’s an absolutely hilarious show with nice touches of cinematic history, Civil War history and even some World War II history,” said Powell. “We love comedy, and we’re big history buffs, so it really appealed to us.”
For Korin, this last production is bittersweet. As he says goodbye to his closest friends and family, he is essentially welcoming a new group of friends, cast mates and opportunities when he arrives in Las Vegas, where he stresses he will not be working in a casino.
“This is the culmination of one chapter of my life and is made up of a lot of different things,” the actor said. “If I have one memory, it will be that I closed the book on this with a great show I enjoyed working on, with people whom I enjoyed working with.”
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