Following the wind—Gone with the Wind—to the Arts Center at Dunham

Everyone has heard of Trekkies, obsessive Star Trek followers, and there are a few other popular culture touchstones that attract an avid fan base. But did you know that there are die-hard fans of anything associated with Gone with the Wind who call themselves “Windys”? And they are headed our way—a group of Windys, traveling from Detroit, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and other Midwestern cities, will join the Sunset Players, Inc. for their second weekend of Ron Hutchinson’s comedy, Moonlight and Magnolias, which is based on a true story of how the script for the movie of Gone with the Wind was rewritten in just a few days.

When the production’s director Don Frimming, got the call from Kathy Marcaccio, a Windy from Detroit, he thought at first that it was some kind of joke. “You’re putting me on,” he told her, but Ms. Marcaccio assured him that she and at least a dozen fellow Windys would be making the trek to Cincinnati to see the show on Saturday, March 2. The Windys try to see any production of Moonlight and Magnolias within a six-hour distance.

The group will meet for lunch and a club meeting at a local member’s house. Later, they will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and then head to the Arts Center at Dunham for the performance. Many of the Windys have seen more than 30 productions of Moonlight and Magnolias! Do they ever get tired of the show? Ms. Marcaccio says that each performance brings its own life and style to the comedy. They are looking forward to having photos taken with the cast of the Sunset Players’ production.

What do the cast and crew think about all this? Frimming reports that some Sunset Players members have made road trips themselves to see out-of-town productions, but they’ve never heard of anything quite as organized or extensive as what the Windys undertake. “But we are glad to know that there are people out there willing to go the extra mile to see live theatre,” he said.

The cast are proud that the Windys are traveling to see Sunset’s production. Jerry Yearout, who plays famed producer David O. Selznick, and Mike Burke, who portrays Ben Hecht, charged with the rewrite of the script, agree that the Windys will find the production well worth the trip. Reports are that audiences from the opening weekend reveled in the show’s hilarious banter, and with a group of Windys on hand, this weekend’s shows will have a bit of the bizarre thrown in, too.

If you are a would-be Windy, you don’t have to travel far to join the Sunset Players for Moonlight and Magnolias at the Arts Center at Dunham, located at 1945 Dunham Way in Price Hill. The show continues March 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9, with performances at 8:00 p.m. except on Sunday, when the matinee is at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $14 or $12 for students and seniors. For ticket information call 513-588-4988 or visit the Sunset Players’ website.