Remembering Margaret Mitchell

This month marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind and there are a number of events planning to celebrate the milestone.

A one-woman show, Mrs. John Marsh, opens Thursday night and continues through June 19 at Ansley Park Playhouse featuring Kandace Christian as Mitchell. Written by Melita Easters, the play follow Mitchell through the publication of the novel, the making of the Oscar-winning film and more. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ansleyparkplayhouse.com.

The Atlanta History Center is hosting the exhibition Atlanta’s Book: The Lost Gone With the Wind Manuscript from June 4 to Sept. 5. On loan from the Pequot Library in Southport Connecticut, the exhibit features the last four chapters of the book, with the individual sheets of chapter sixty-three, the final chapter, mounted on the wall for visitors to view and read. Some of the pages feature handwritten changes by Mitchell and her husband, John Marsh. The display will also feature foreign and first edition copies of Gone With the Wind, the actual desk she used while writing her novel, and select images. Tickets and info at this link

Beginning Thursday, June 9, through Sunday, June 12, The  Margaret Mitchell House visitors will receive two-for-one admission to tour the museum and explore Mitchell’s apartment where she wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. For more information about tours and events at the Midtown house, visit www.margaretmitchellhouse.com.

Georgia Public Broadcasting will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the Georgian Terrace Hotel (where the stars of the film version of Gone With the Wind stayed in 1939) at 7 p.m. There will be a sneak peek of the new GPB original documentary, Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel, profiling the life of the late author. For tickets and information, visit this link.

On Sunday, June 12 Historic Oakland Cemetery – Mitchell’s final resting place – celebrates the 75th anniversary of the publication Gone With the Wind with a reception on the Bell Tower veranda, a guided walking tour, and a champagne toast at the author’s gravesite. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Historic Oakland Foundation at (404) 688-2107. www.oaklandcemetery.com

Inspired by Margaret: Four Georgia Authors Discuss how Margaret Mitchell Inspired Their Work will feature Georgia authors Rebecca Burns, Amanda Gable, Shelia P. Moses and Patricia Sprinkle on Thursday, June 30, 7 p.m. at the Atlanta History Center. Tickets and info at this link.

Georgia Public Broadcasting will air Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel June 30 to mark the occasion. The documentary features interviews with leading historians, biographers and people with personal connections to Mitchell as well as dramatic re-enactments based on her own personal reflections. The film also looks at the reasons behind the amazing endurance of Gone With the Wind across cultures and over time. Find out more about the documentary at this link.