<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body leftmargin="2" topmargin="2" style=" margin: 10px; text-align:
center">
<table style="margin: auto; width: 90%; text-align: left;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<h1 style="font: normal 12pt sans-serif; color:#C00;
text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: -30px"><strong>PRESS
RELEASE</strong><br>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</h1>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;" align="right">Date:
12/26/16</p>
<hr align="center" color="black" noshade="noshade" size="2"
width="100%">
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;">Contact: Andrew Rothman<br>
From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre </p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;">40 River Street<br>
Chagrin Falls, OH 44122<br>
Phone: 440-247-8955<br>
E-mail: <a href="mailto:cvlt@cvlt.org">cvlt@cvlt.org</a><br>
Website: <a href="http://www.cvlt.org/">www.cvlt.org</a></p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;"><a
href="http://www.cvlt.org/promo">Promotional PHOTOS
available for download at http://www.CVLT.org/promo</a></p>
<h3 style="text-align:center;font-family:Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif; color:#000; font-size:10pt;"><strong><span
style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size:
10pt; color: #000000">'Moonlight and Magnolias' gives
a look behind the filming of Gone with the Wind</span></strong></h3>
<p style="text-align:center;font-family:Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif; color:#000; font-size:10pt;"><strong>Chagrin
Valley Little Theatre presents the 'mostly' true story</strong></p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;"> CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio -
Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is staging MOONLIGHT AND
MAGNOLIAS, a comedic behind the scenes look at the making
of the legendary movie, <em>Gone with the Wind,</em>
weekends January 13 through February 4. Emmy-winning
writer Ron Hutchinson penned the script, which is a farce
based on actual historical events. </p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;"> Five weeks into
shooting, MGM's epic Civil War film <em>Gone with the
Wind</em> was headed toward an epic failure. Fearing
critical and financial disaster, producer David O.
Selznick called up director Victor Fleming from the set of
<em>The Wizard of Oz</em> to replace the original clueless
director, and called in"script doctor" Ben Hecht to
rewrite the awful original script. But Hecht hadn't ever
read Margaret Mitchell's sprawling, thousand-page novel!
Over the course of just five days, the three men and
Selznick's assistant, Miss Poppenghul, frantically act out
the book in Selznick's office and craft what was to become
a legendary script. </p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;"> CVLT's production is
directed by Stephen Kay, of Solon. "The story is mostly
true," Kay said. "That aspect attracted me to want to
direct it, along with some genuinely funny scenes that we
are bringing to the stage. I don't want to give too much
away, but peanuts and bananas are involved." </p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;">The cast includes actor
Ed Conrad in the role of real-life demanding film
producer, David O Selznick (his second turn in this role).
Actors Robert McCoy and Tim Champion portray director
Fleming and writer Hecht, who are composite characters
based on their real-life counterparts. Kristen Jezek plays
the role of Miss Poppenghul. </p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;">"After the roles were
cast, we all met at the director's house and watched <em>Gone
with the Wind</em>," said CVLT stage manager Cindee
Catalano. "It's a very long movie. That helped give us the
right perspective of the enormous job Selznick and the
writers undertook in less than a week."</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;"> The play is set in
1939, with the shadow of Nazi Germany and the undercurrent
of Selznick and Hecht's Jewish identity, as well as the
treatment of blacks in the Civil War era.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;">MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS
runs 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays January 13 through
February 4. Tickets are $18 for adults and $14 for seniors
and students. The play contains some adult language.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;"> For tickets, call the
Box Office 1-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at
440-247-8955, or online at CVLT.org. The theater, which
has just completed a major renovation, is located at 40
River St. in Chagrin Falls.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; font-weight:normal;font-family:
arial, sans-serif; color:#000000;">CVLT is generously
funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts
and Culture and supported by the Ohio Arts Council. CVLT
is a proud member of the American Association of Community
Theatre.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt; text-align:center;
font-weight:normal;font-family: arial, sans-serif;
color:#000000;">### </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</body>
</html>