Steel Magnolias has always been a popular play, especially for community theaters. There’s the name recognition, assisted by the star-studded film adaptation of 1989. There’s the all-female cast, a blessing in any theater community. But most of all, Steel Magnolias is memorable because of the compelling emotional story and the fully realized characters who live it. The play drops in on the lives of six Louisiana women as they gather over and over again in a beauty salon. Each time, their lives are changed in big and small ways, but their bonds with each other give them strength to get through any difficulty.
North Starz Center for the Performing Arts, as I understand,
has previously focused on youth shows, and is now starting to branch out. They picked a great show to start with not
just because the play itself is good but also because it worked very nicely in
this space. Steel Magnolias was performed
in a fairly small black box theater, and since the play takes place in a single room and is largely about quiet
moments of connection, I enjoyed being so close to the actors and hearing them without microphones.
Ben Layne directed two casts for this production, which sounds
like a lot of work (I’ve only experienced partial double-casting before,
so I’m not sure how it works to rehearse with two full casts). I can understand at this time, fresh out of
pandemic shutdowns, that the impulse may be just to give more people
opportunities to perform; I suppose I’ll have to wait and see if Northern Starz
will be continuing this practice in future shows. Layne’s staging used the space well, and the emotional
bonds of the characters came through effectively throughout the show. Krista Weiss’ costumes included some real
home runs, meeting the trifecta of period-appropriate, appropriate for and
expressive of the character, and flattering (which not everyone can pull off!). I was particularly drawn to the detail of M'Lynn's socks-and-flats combination, which just seemed to make perfect sense for the character. Sound and lighting were designed
by Ian Glenn with apprentice Lily Trudenbach, and while there aren’t many moments
for these elements to shine in this show, Glenn made strong choices the one
time there was different lighting. The
lighting in the audience before and after the show could have used a boost; it
was a little dark in the seats. Sound-wise,
I wish the “radio” had been quieter, because it got a little distracting at
times. The program didn’t list a scenic
designer, but there were plenty of nice details in the salon set. The salon chairs in particular were very
nice, and I thought the hairstyle silhouette art pieces were a nice piece of décor. Overall, the design used the full extent of the
space and gave the actors a lot to work with.
As mentioned above, there were two casts for this production;
the show I attended was performed by the Purple Cast. Laura Erchul played Truvy, the salon’s owner,
a sturdy and reassuring figure that contrasts with new hire Annelle (Bethani
Talatala), who is young and still searching for her place in life. Talatala had some very funny bits, and Erchul’s
sudden uncertainty in the face of tragedy was a very interesting moment for the
character.
Susan Misunakis and Christina Zimpfer played two very
different versions of aging Southern womanhood. Misunakis’ Clairee was classy and showy, with
a liquid physicality, while Zimpfer’s Ouiser was brassy and a little abrasive
but ultimately soft deep down. Both performers
also made strong character choices with their accents, which further complimented
the contrast between the Clairee and Ouiser.
The most important individual relationship in Steel
Magnolias is between salon regular M’Lynn and her daughter Shelby, whose
periodic visits to the salon mark the passage of time through the play. As Shelby, Sarah Anderson was mostly calm and
determined, set in her decision and ready to face any consequences. Sheree Froelich’s M'Lynn projected strength
despite complicated emotions. Froelich’s
grounded performance added to the impact of the devastating final scene, which left
very few dry eyes in the theater. Anderson
and Froelich had a tangible rapport, evident as their characters disagreed and
as they came back together, especially in the third scene.
Each of the actors delivered on their individual performances, and as a whole the show felt cohesive and connected. The pacing never lagged and the cast's comic timing was spot on. Overall, Northern Starz' Steel Magnolias was compelling and emotional, and I look forward to seeing what the company does next.
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