Dennis Zacek Directs Fox Valley Rep's Moonlight and Magnolias

Fox Valley Repertory begins its 2nd season with the comical glimpse behind the creation of the screenplay "Gone With the Wind" with Ron Hutchinson's Moonlight and Magnolias. Directed by Dennis Zacek, former Tony Award-winning Artistic Director of Victory Gardens, performances will take place at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage (4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL; box office 630-584-6342).

Moonlight and Magnolias will preview Thursday, January 19 through Friday, January 27, 2012. The show will open Saturday evening, January 28, 2012 and continue through Sunday, March 11, 2012.

Tickets are priced at $32 on Fridays (and limited Thursday performances), and at $42 on Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner show packages are available from $52. Group discounts, overnight rates, and discounted subscription packages are also available.

"To celebrate our second season as Fox Valley Rep, we are continuing to offer the best subscription rates and benefits in the area," says Artistic Director John Gawlik. "Our 5-show packages are heavily discounted so that no theater ticket is more than $20. Our number of subscribers has grown tremendously, and we hope this continues."

The year was 1939 in Hollywood, and the movie "Gone With the Wind" was in production. But just three weeks later, legendary producer David O. Selznick closed the set and fired Director George Cukor. With just five days to get back on track, Selznick hired screenwriter Ben Hecht to write a new script from Margaret Mitchell's bestselling 1037 page novel. One problem though - Hecht had never read the novel! This left Selznick no choice but to pull Director Victor Fleming from "Wizard of Oz" and lock him in a room with Hecht and himself until the script was complete. 

This sets the scene for Ron Hutchinson's comedy of what happened when these three men were locked in Selznick's office for five long days to write the new 130 page script, acting out the memorable moments and characters from what is now considered to be one of the finest films of all time and winner of ten Academy Awards. Audience members get to enjoy the ride as they experience the behind-the-scenes glimpse of "Gone With the Wind" as seen through the eyes of these comical and desperate creators in 1939 Hollywood.

The cast of Moonlight and Magnolias features (in alphabetical order): Delia Baseman, Weston Blakesley, Dennis Grimes and Bartlett native Stef Tovar.

Dennis Zacek directs the show. Zacek held the position of artistic director of Victory Gardens for 30 years, and recently accepted the Actor's Equity Association's (AEA) Spirit Recognition Award. He also received the 2005 Jeff Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chicago Equity Theatre. He, his wife Marcelle McVay, and Victory Gardens are co-recipients of the 2001 Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre. 

He has directed more than 250 productions in his career, including, most recently, the Chicago premiere of Blackbird by David Harrower, the world premiere of Jeffrey Sweet'sClass Dismissed, James Sherman's Relatively Close, the Midwest premiere of A Park in Our House by Nilo Cruz, the world premieres of Cynical Weathers by Douglas Post, Denmarkby Charles Smith, the inaugural production at Victory Gardens' new home at the Biograph,Symmetry by David Field, The Family Gold by Annie Reiner, Affluenza! and The Old Man's Friend by James Sherman, Unspoken Prayers by Claudia Allen, The Action Against Sol Schumann and Flyovers by Jeffrey Sweet, and others.

Moonlight and Magnolias runs Thursday, January 19, 2012 through Sunday, March 11, 2012. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. Thursday performances are available on January 19 and 26 at 8pm; and February 2 and 16 at 2pm. The show is rated PG-13 due to strong language. 

PEANUT ALLERGY ALERT: Peanuts and peanut shells are an integral part of this production and will be used on stage. 

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and is sponsored in part by the Daily Herald and Delnor Express Care.

Pheasant Run Resort is located at 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL. For tickets, call the Pheasant Run Box Office at 630-584-6342, or visit www.ticketmaster.com. Additional performance information may be obtained at www.foxvalleyrep.org.  

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