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Overview

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.

Show Information

Book
Ron Hutchinson
Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2004
Genres
Comedy, Farce, Historical/Biographical
Time & Place
hollywood, 1939
Cast Size
small
Licensor
Dramatists Play Service
Ideal For
small cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Small Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

David O. Selznick

Lead

Male

Spoken

Ben Hecht

Lead

Male

Spoken

Victor Fleming

Lead

Male

Spoken

Miss Poppenghul

Supporting

Female

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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