Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

In mid-December of 1939, Lala Levy sings Christmas carols as she decorates a Christmas tree while her aunt Reba watches and knits. Lala's mother, Boo, comes in and orders Lala to take the star off the top of the Christmas tree. She explains that a tree is a sign of the season like a Halloween pumpkin, but because the star symbolizes the birth of the Messiah, trees in Jewish homes like theirs can't have stars. Reba agrees. Lala complains that instead of fighting about Christmas trees, they should all be celebrating because Clark Gable and other movie stars are in town for the world premiere of Gone with the Wind just a few blocks away. Boo suggests that Lala should have other things on her mind, such as who's going to take her to Ballyhoo in a couple of weeks. She suggests...