‘Steel Magnolias’ @ Theatre Arlington
Photos by Jacob Oderberg
—Jan Farrington
What is it about Steel Magnolias, I asked myself at Theatre Arlington on opening night—trying to define the pull of this warm and funny play about the mostly ordinary doings of a group of women in a Southern-fried beauty salon. And in the end, I came up with this:
Steel Magnolias is a hymn to the miracle that is female friendship.
Lifelong friendship, thick-and-thin friendship, friendship through joy and laughter and pain, friendship that anchors your life, as important in many ways as a good marriage.
Go ahead and laugh, guys: You should be so lucky.
Robert Harling’s popular play has lots of laugh lines that didn’t make it into the hit movie—that’s a good-enough reason to see this engaging production. And after a few minutes spent trying to match the characters onstage with their film counterparts (Oh, Annelle was Darryl Hannah, and tall M’Lynn was little Sally Field), you’ll stop doing that and be quite happy with the wonderful cluster of North Texas actresses onstage—some of our best.
Shannon McGrann plays beauty-shop owner Truvy, a convivial mistress of ceremonies, ever ready with a loving hug or a bit of smart advice. She has a way of finding the funny or soothing the quarrels—without making a fuss about it—and McGrann’s gentle accent goes down like sweet tea. Her favorite customer might be the gentle M’Lynn (Cara Serber), married to unseen husband Drum, her serenity unshaken by the neighbors’ complaints about his noisy antics.
Myiesha J. Duff is Clairee, a classy lady who half runs their small town (she’s married to the former mayor). Clairee expects people to listen up; her no-nonsense opinions rain down on her friends, but we admire her good intentions. Clairee’s frenemy (on a good day) is sharp-tongued Ouiser (Cheryl Ford-Mente), the town’s richest widow. Townspeople cross the street when they see her coming, I’d guess.
Two young people mix into the fun and chatter of the shop. Annelle (GeCamri Anberay) is a pretty and shy young woman who turns up in town without money, car, or the husband she eventually admits is “somewhere.” Truvy takes her on as a shop assistant, and Anberay grows her character almost moment by moment.
And then there’s Shelby: feisty Shelby (Olivia Cinquepalmi), M’Lynn’s cherished only daughter. We meet her on her wedding day, and find out fast that she’s the only person who can ruffle M’Lynn’s smooth feathers. (Shelby is a pink person, and her pretty costumes and long/short hair styling are just a fraction of the good work done for the cast by costumer Hope Cox and hair/wig designer Nik Blocker.)
Re Shelby: There are reasons for M’Lynn’s constant hovering and concern: Shelby’s health is more fragile than her mile-a-minute energy reveals, and M’Lynn has spent a lifetime looking after her. It’s hard to let go, and we feel her anxiety in our bones.
But at the start, we are too busy hooting at the friends’ well-worn jokes, put-downs, and opinions about absolutely everyone in town…including themselves and their loved ones. Bryan Stevenson’s detailed and comfortable salon is brought to life by the lovely pink daylight pouring in a picture window and door upstage (he designed the lighting too)—and I think many of us were quite ready to curl up on the flowered sofa ourselves, to listen and laugh.
TA artistic director Steven D. Morris directs (assisted by Libby Hawkins), and together with the cast they’ve created performances that feel fresh and alive. There’s an authenticity to all the ways these women connect and hold on—a good thing as the play moves us all toward hard times and grief.
If you have longtime friends, you know this part of the story too. Life takes you places…and it’s better to travel together.
WHEN: May 3-19, 2024
WHERE: 316 W. Main Street, Arlington TX
WEB: theatrearlington.org
