Abilene Community Theatre is pleased to announce in-person, open auditions for MOONLIGHT & MAGNOLIAS, by Ron Hutchinson, directed by Tyler Sparks.

When:  Monday, April 1st and Tuesday, April 2nd, from 7 to 9 PM; callbacks by invitation (if necessary) on Wednesday, April 3rd at 7 PM

Where: ACT 2 Black Box Theatre

Rehearsal dates: April 8-May 16, 2024, Mondays through Fridays, 7 PM to 10 PM 

Performance dates:  May 17-19 and 24-26, 2024

Auditions are for all parts, and no previous acting experience is necessary. Auditions for this show will consist of cold readings from the script.  Please bring your calendar or dates reflecting any conflicts you may have. 

Characters: 

• David O. Selznick (30s-50s): An all-powerful movie mogul and legendary Hollywood producer who has just shut down production on his new movie Gone With the Wind. He summons director Victor Fleming and screenwriter Ben Hecht to his office, locking all of them in the room for 5 days on a diet of peanuts and bananas, in a mad dash to rewrite the script before the impending deadline.
• Victor Fleming (40s-50s): Hollywood director, cinematographer, and producer most well-known for his work on the American classics Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. Fleming has just been temporarily pulled from the already troubled production of The Wizard of Oz to help Selznick and Hecht save the quickly floundering production of what would become one of the most successful films in Hollywood history.
• Ben Hecht (30s-50s): Jewish-American screenwriter, director, producer, and playwright and one of the most talented “script doctors” in history though, true to life, he never seems to get the credit he deserves. After being pulled into a meeting with Selznick and Fleming, he is tasked with rewriting the script for one of the most successful and beloved films of all time. The problem? Ben has never read Gone With the Wind!
• Miss Poppenghul (20s-30s): The overworked and underpaid secretary for David O. Selznick. As Selznick, Fleming, and Hecht frantically craft one of the most celebrated screenplays in history, the increasingly frazzled Miss Poppenghul must protect the office and fend off the film’s stars, gossip columnists, Ed Sullivan, and even David O. Seznick’s own father-in-law (famed producer Louis B. Mayer).

Synopsis:

Legendary film producer David O. Selznick is five weeks into shooting Gone With the Wind when he realizes the script is awful, and that the director doesn't have a clue. He has five days to replace them, and restart the shoot, or the production will shut down. Selznick calls Victor Fleming from the set of The Wizard to Oz to direct, and he taps legendary playwright, screenwriter and script doctor Ben Hecht to rewrite the script. There's only one problem: Hecht hasn't read the book. Over the course of five madcap days, the three men, assisted by Selznick's assistant, Miss Poppenghul, frantically craft one of the most beloved screenplays of all time. As Selznick and Fleming act out the book for Hecht, the phone rings off the hook with calls from the likes of Vivien Leigh, Louis B. Mayer and Ed Sullivan. Hutchinson's play, based on historical events, is written as farce, but the characters also deal with serious questions about race and the fragile position of Jewish executives in Hollywood.

MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

Abilene Community Theatre (ACT) was founded in 1954, and made it's home in its current location on Barrow in 1958. ACT is one of the oldest continually operating community theatre organizations in Texas. ACT is a not-for-profit 501(c)3, and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

ACT markets its productions throughout Taylor county to all ages and economic groups by way of public service announcements, appearances on local television and radio programs, and on social media. All actors and members are volunteers from the local community who are interested in helping preserve and promote live theater in Abilene, Texas. Audiences are comprised of a diverse mix of residents and seasonal visitors who enjoy seeing their friends and neighbors present live, local theater productions.

ACT is a volunteer group. It has no paid staff nor are any members of ACT remunerated for the time, efforts and talents they bring to the organization. Musical productions will sometimes incur the cost of hiring a pianist or musicians for rehearsals and performances.

Abilene Community Theatre seeks to encourage the appreciation of and participation in all aspects of live theater, as well as conducting related educational programs for adults and children. ACT is able to meet this mission through the hard work of it's active volunteer group, and the generosity of donors and sponsors.