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Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind

By: Mar. 30, 2018
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On March 30th, 2018, Eagle Theatre opens Ron Hutchinson'sMoonlight & Magnolias, an uproariously irreverent behind-the-scenes glimpse of Gone With The Wind.
Based on a true story, Moonlight & Magnolias offers a hilarious insight to the making of America's most successful and beloved film of all time.
Unimpressed by the screenplay, legendary producer David O. Selznick shuts down production of his new epic, Gone with the Wind, the film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's novel. While fending off the film's stars, gossip columnists, and his own father-in-law, Selznick sends for famed screenwriter, Ben Hecht, and pulls formidable director, Victor Fleming, from the set of The Wizard of Oz. Summoning both to his office, he locks the doors, closes the curtains, and on a diet of only bananas and peanuts, the three men labor over five days, as they act out the roles of America's soon-to-be blockbuster.
Moonlight & Magnolias features a star-studded cast drawn from the Delaware Valley and beyond, including; Damon Bonetti, Hanna Gaffney, Bruce Graham, and Ernie Jewell. The production is directed by Eagle Theatre's Barrymore Nominated Artistic Director, Ted Wioncek III.
Eagle Theatre's Innovations Factory, a core of themeing artists dedicated to experiential storytelling through medium advancing technology, has transformed the entire theatre into 1930s Hollywoodland. The queue is complete with a red carpet walkway, leading audiences to a Gone With The Wind screen test step-and-repeat. In addition, Eagle Theatre's onsite Sharott Wine Lounge has received a "Brown Derby" overlay, filled with headshots and various golden age immersive accouterments. The house itself is dressed as a private interactive Tinseltown screening room, featuring mechanically controlled executive desks, toppling over with film strips, typing typewriters, light-up lamps, costume renderings of Gone With The Wind, and audio controlled phones that sporadically come to life, revealing the latest dish of Hollywood gossip. All the while clips of America's greatest cinematic moments are projected on the theatre's ceiling.
Eagle Theatre's Artistic Director, Ted Wioncek III states, "We have created a theatrical experience that puts you right in the middle of the action. Rather than watch Hollywood, we present an opportunity for patrons to live it. It is one thing to provide guests with a story, but handing them the tools to make it their own, now that is where the magic lies."
Founded in 2015, Innovations Factory specializes in special effects, as seen in previous Eagle Theatre productions; motorized moving walls (Catch Me If You Can), scent-sensory experiences (Our Town), immersive walkthrough exhibits (The Shape of Things, Heathers, Our Town), rotating stages (The Graduate), and custom designed moving mechanical winches (Little Women: The Musical, The Civil War: The Musical). Their latest project (Eagle Theatre's Original World Premiere production, NOIR: The 3D/4D Semi-Cinematic Satirical Thriller) will seamlessly blend live-action with three dimensional cinematography, using up-to-the-minute technology and theatrical techniques to immerse the audience.
Damon Bonetti of Collingswood, NJ, plays the role of David O. Selznick. A real life producer himself, Bonetti claims, "What I love about the Eagle is you are not coming to see a show - you are coming to an event. They do such an incredible job of making theatre an immersive experience. There's so much to see, hear and do before the show even starts. They care very much about the audience experience and their audiences have picked up on that."

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image
Moonlight & Magnolias

Photo Flash: Eagle Theatre's Immersive Playground Takes on the History of Gone with the Wind  Image



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