‘Moonlight and Magnolias’ a comedy about the making of ‘Gone With the Wind’
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Dianne O’Neill is a name familiar to Home Made Theater audiences in Saratoga Springs.
But she’s usually an invisible presence. That’s because she regularly performs the anonymous job of directing productions at the theater. She’s also a mainstay of the backstage crew — especially in the area of costuming. Both are areas where you see her work without seeing her.
In “Moonlight and Magnolias,” a comedy that opens at the Saratoga Arts Center tomorrow night, O’Neill will be more visible. She’s playing the role of a beleaguered secretary, Miss Poppenghul, who is dismissively treated by the three men who are trying to write the film script for “Gone With the Wind.” It’s a small but important role.
Clearly, O’Neill is addicted to creating theater. Born in Australia, she had a career as an educator who taught and produced theater. When she moved to the United States in 1969 she continued a theater career. She also stayed an educator and eventually joined the Doane Stuart School in Albany as a teacher.
She retired in 2007 and intended to take a break from theater until she saw a production of “Wit” at Home Made Theater. She says, “I left saying to myself, that’s a theater company I have to become involved with.”
She started as a volunteer costumer, which is her major area of expertise. Eventually she was asked to direct. She now directs almost a play a year at HMT, does the costumes for other shows, serves on the board of directors and occasionally performs. In her spare time she directs at other local theaters as well as at Home Made.
By the way, O’Neill is 80 years old. A natural reaction is to ask “Why, when so many others at the same age are scaling down their commitments, she continues on overload?” Her answer was simply, “What else would I do? Sit at home?”
Indeed, complicating her work load, she is also costuming “Moonlight and Magnolias.” She explains this show’s double duty as an accident. When asked what productions she was willing to work as a costumer this season she submitted “Moonlight and Magnolias” OR the next show “They’re Playing Our Song.” Somehow, she got assigned as costumer designer on BOTH shows.
She doesn’t find multitasking a problem as she points out the role of the secretary is very short. However, she says because her moments were written for comic relief the character can “steal” her scenes. It figures. It is, after all, comedy relief in a comedy.
However, she does say finding era-appropriate costumes for the men is a challenge. The play takes place in sunny Hollywood, California in 1939.
O’Neill says the lazy approach is to find some period sweaters and caps or hats. She gasps at the thought. “These men are indoors in a hot room. The wouldn’t be wearing sweaters and they certainly would not have hats.”
On a more considerate level she adds, “Think how uncomfortable that would be for the actors? I want them to look the roles they are playing, but they shouldn’t pass out.”
The roles concern three of the most influential filmmakers working in the 1930s. “Moonlight and Magnolias” is a fictionalized story of a true incident. Indeed, it’s fictionalized to the point of almost being farce.
The truth is that when filming “Gone With the Wind” started production, legendary producer David O. Selznick realized the script was terrible and the director wasn’t capable of saving it. He shut down filming, fired the director and replaced him with Victor Fleming, who was just finishing “The Wizard of Oz”, with young Judy Garland.
He then hired the socially-conscious script doctor Ben Hecht, who had never read the book. The three men isolated themselves as they worked on a new script.
In “Moonlight and Magnolias” playwright Ron Hutchinson locks the three men in Selznick’s office for five days, with his secretary bringing them bananas and peanuts for food. He imagines what took place inside the office over the five days.
When the secretary is called in the men take their frustrations out on her. Her quips and comic reaction to these crazy men are usually a breath of fresh air.
I’m guessing none of Miss Poppenghul’s sarcastic comments will be about how they are dressed.
“Moonlight and Magnolias” at Home Made Theater, in the Dee Sarno Theatre at the Saratoga Arts Center, 320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. Performance Dec. 3-12. For tickets, schedule and COVID protocol go the homemade theater.org or call (518) 587-4427