Theater Review: Steel Magnolias

by Matt Gunther of John Garcia's The Column

After dinner last night I decided to take a drive out to the small town of Chinquapin, Louisiana to visit some old friends. At least that's what it felt like when I went to see Steel Magnolias at the Richardson Theatre Centre.

Anyone unfamiliar with this play, as I was - yes, my wife was just as surprised to know this - will be treated to a three-year view into the lives of six women from this rural setting who love and support each other, without reservation, through good times and bad. The action all takes place inside Truvy's salon and revolves around the always positive Shelby Eatenton, who is about to be married and start a family and the intertwining lives of her mother and the rest of the ladies.

This piece wonderfully speaks about the nurturing nature of these six women. It's great to listen to women speak with a familiarity of years together, where anything abrupt and bawdy is just part of another normal conversation. These are six independent women (well five with one in the works) who live their lives as they please while lifting each other up.

Shelby, played by Amy Knowles, is getting married and she and her mother, M'Lynn, are in the salon getting their hair done for the wedding. Her anticipation of this next stage in her life, of being married and having a family, can't help one but wish to be there to throw some rice at the bride and groom and wait for the impending baby pictures. Ms. Knowles shows the depth of Shelby's strength and independence and her desire to look at any circumstance in a positive light. I wonder, though, if there are times when even the positive and cheerful Shelby finds an anger or frustration that breaks through her cheeriness in a stronger manner than we saw on stage.

M'Lynn, played by Lisa Alexander, is Shelby's mother, torn between the joy of her daughter's marriage and future and her perception of her daughter's frailty. When do we, as parents, stop seeing our children as five year-olds who need our help and constant attention and guidance? M'Lynn has raised her daughter to be independent, but can't help but want to hold her hand, so naturally Shelby's decisions elate and frustrate her at the same time. Ms. Alexander shows this so well throughout her performance. She is my mom and yours as well.

Truvy, played by Robin Liesenfelt, is the central nurturer and owner of the salon. She is the glue that holds it all together, from her pseudo-adoption of Annelle, to an aunt, a sister, and a friend. She was all of these and none of these. Ms. Liesenfelt plays Truvy with a vibrancy and intimacy that evokes feelings of deep friendship and love for all of her sisters.

Clairee, played by Dana Harrison, is the woman of experience and wealth. She can have or buy anything she wants. She is a classy woman without the demeanor of class. These are her friends and they would be that way whether she was rich or poor. Ms. Harrison plays this classiness with an audacity encased in humility. Her language is funny and cocky, played with a straightness that made me want to slap a high five with her.

Annelle, played by Samantha Chancellor, is new in town and new to Truvy and the girls, but from the first scene they welcome her in as part of the family and help her to grow out of her many insecurities into a woman who is willing to say what's in her heart, even though she knows it's not the most popular topic. Ms. Chancellor brought out a bright innocence in Annelle that I found myself drawn to as I enjoyed her transformation through the years.

Ouiser, played by Fradonna Griffin, is the cantankerous one of the bunch and is as independent as they come. You'd swear she eats nails for breakfast and spits them out as words and yet you know there has to be a soft side in there somewhere. Ms. Griffin's portrayal was strong and efficient.

The set design, by Rachel Lindley and Charles Alexander, in hues of blues was cool and inviting, lends itself to the notion of `Just pull up a chair'. I enjoyed the attention to detail, from Truvy's pictures at her station, to all of the salon paraphernalia, and the knick-knacks that complete a picture. However, the choice of Styrofoam cups over ceramic and glass for the coffee and other liquids served, while not distracting, did give me pause to wonder why, when Truvy's salon was such an intimate place to socialize.

Color. That was the theme of the costuming and it worked nicely. Whereas Truvy's vibrant colors and Shelby's love of pink run throughout and match their characters, we see Annelle's transformation into an independent woman, not only through her performance, but through her choice of clothing and hair styles. Clairee is not overstated and Ouiser is comfortable no matter what.

Rachael Lindley's direction helped all of this come together beautifully. There was realness to the relationships beyond just the dialogue, which is rich in itself. It would be easy to let the dialogue do the work, but what a waste that would be. There is life in this salon, and love. Getting this across without superficiality helps us to walk away from the performance with an idea beyond what a good show it was to maybe evaluating our own relationships, looking for those things or feelings which are good and those which are unnecessary. We could all use a little more of this.

Steel Magnolias runs through March 1 and tickets can be reserved by calling 972-699-1130.