As Door County professional theater companies are preparing to leave a memorable mark on the audience, here’s a look in brief at what’s coming and what theater-goers are most excited about this summer.
Category: Moonlight and Magnolias
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MIKE AT THE MARQUEE: Movie-Making Mayhem in “Moonlight and Magnolias”
Gone with the Wind is, arguably, the most famous movie ever made in “old” Hollywood. The 1939 MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) production was adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, and it went on to set records for box office take and Academy Awards. It grossed hundreds of millions of dollars at a time when most films were considered hits if they scored revenues in the seven figures, and it received an unprecedented 10 Oscars (from 13 nominations) – a record haul that has since been eclipsed by Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) with 11 each.
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Door County’s 2026 theater season is starting.
Door County's busy summer theater season is about to kick into gear for 2026. Yes, the four professional theater companies and one community theater company on the Peninsula have kept busy to varying degrees in the offseason, with a few shows, play readings and other outreach programs over the winter. But now that the middle of June is approaching, it's almost time for regular offerings for theater buffs. Here's what's coming to stages in Door County this summer and fall.
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Moonlight and Magnolias shines spotlight on classic film
For a story you may have never heard about one of the greatest movies ever made, Sturgeon Bay’s Third Avenue PlayWorks invites you to pull up a chair.
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Critical Acclaim and Controversy of Gone with the Wind
Few films in American history inspire as much admiration and discomfort as Gone with the Wind. Released in 1939 and based on Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the film remains one of Hollywood's most celebrated achievements. It won eight Academy Awards, helped define the epic historical romance genre, and became a cornerstone of classic American cinema. Yet decades later, it is also one of the most controversial films ever made because of its romanticized depiction of the Old South, slavery, and race relations during the Civil War era. What makes Gone with the Wind fascinating is not simply that people disagree about it. The real tension lies in the fact that both sides of the argument are difficult to dismiss. The film is simultaneously a technical masterpiece and a deeply problematic cultural artifact. That contradiction explains why audiences continue to revisit it, debate it, and reinterpret it through modern works like Moonlight and Magnolias.
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Kurt Krauss on Moonlight and Magnolia & the Magic Behind Gone With the Wind
Door County native and film producer Kurt Krauss joins Pete and Greg to talk about the play, Moonlight and Magnolia, a behind-the-scenes comedy centered around the chaotic making of Gone with the Wind. Kurt shares what drew him to the story, the connection to independent filmmaking, and how the production is partnering with Third Avenue PlayWorks to help support local film efforts.
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Movie Magic In “Moonlight And Magnolias”
Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) will present its second show of the 2026 season – Moonlight and Magnolias by Ron Hutchinson – from June 3 through 21, featuring performances by Rudy Galvan, Paige Klopfenstein, John Taylor Phillips and Nick Vidal.
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Third Avenue PlayWorks Unveils June Show
An area theater group has announced its production for June. Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay is inviting the public to their second production of the year, Moonlight and Magnolias, by Ron Hutchinson.
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Audience Guide: Moonlight and Magnolias
Moonlight and Magnolias is a comedy, and more specifically a farce. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines farce as “a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot.” Playwright Ron Hutchinson recalled that, “The inspiration for ‘Moonlight’ came when I was visiting my father in England. I was reading Daily, Daily, the autobiography of Ben Hecht’s week rewriting Gone with the Wind, and literally from one footstep to another, it struck me, wow—this is classical farce.”
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LAUGHTER AND COLLABORATION IN MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS
Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) is proud to announce the upcoming production of Moonlight and Magnolias, by Ron Hutchinson. The second show of the 2026 season at Third Avenue PlayWorks runs from June 3 through 21, 2026, featuring performances by Rudy Galvan, Paige Klopfenstein, John Taylor Phillips, and Nick Vidal.