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What the Critics have Said
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Cast & Characters
Monica Nemes is TRUVY JONES, owner of the hair salon, the. She is quite the gossip, and loves to be in everyone’s personal affairs. Her two sons are Louie, who attends Louisiana State University, and Poot, who is to work with her cousin in Baltimore. Her husband is Spud Jones who she describes as a "lazy old man." Truvy treats Annelle as a daughter, even though they are not related. She also loves listening to other people’s romantic experiences.
Ash Orr plays ANNELL DUPUY-DESOTO. She is new in town, and seeks out a job as a hair stylist at Truvy's salon and a room in a boarding house due to her lack of money. Annelle is a shy, private, and creative individual. She is kind and gracious towards the women she meets in the beauty salon.
Penny May Shogan is SHELBY EATENTON-LATCHERIE, daughter of M’Lynn & about to marry Jackson Latcherie. She has diabetes, but does not want her medical background to define her nor does she want to rely on others. She is a pediatric nurse & she wants to have children, but it is not recommended because of her medical conditions. She wants to have a very romantic & peaceful marriage instead of the hectic relationship of her parents.
Diane Gludovatz plays OUISER BORDEUX, often described as "bitter" or "annoyed." Mostly, she values her dog Rhett and her property. She is constantly arguing with M’Lynn’s husband Drum over property, but does have a deep and genuine concern for Shelby and her health. Even though she speaks poorly to the other women sometimes, she still considers them her closest companions. She has been married twice and has children.
Carrie Shogan is M'LYNN EATENTON, Shelby's mother. She also has two sons named Tommy and Jonathan, Shelby's brothers. She is also the wife of Drum Eatenton, whom she believes is "crazy." She is the administrator of the Mental Guidance Center. Her main priority is her daughter Shelby; she takes great care of her daughter, almost to the point of becoming overprotective. On the surface, she appears strong and collected, but deep down she is fragile.
Donna Macbeth plays CLAIREE BELCHER, the mayor's widow and the owner of the local radio station. She is known for her "smart mouth" and "sweet tooth." She often puts herself down, but tends to remain playful whenever a serious topic arises. She is the only woman in the play without children, but she maintains close ties with her relatives.
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What's it About?Steel Magnolias is a stage play by American writer Robert Harling, based on his experience with his sister's death. The play is a comedy-drama about the bond among a group of Southern women in northwest Louisiana.
As the title suggests the "female characters are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel". The action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, ("I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years"); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.” Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad. Concerned with a group of gossipy southern ladies in a small-town beauty parlor, the play is alternately hilarious and touching—and, in the end, deeply revealing of the strength and purposefulness which underlies the antic banter of its characters. 
The Playwright
Robert Harling made his directorial debut with "The Evening Star" for Paramount, which he also wrote for the screen based on Larry McMurty’s novel. "The Evening Star" reunited Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson and co-stars Juliette Lewis, Bill Paxton, Scott Wolf, Miranda Richardson, and Marion Ross. "The Evening Star" is the continuation of one of the most beloved and acclaimed movies of our time, "Terms of Endearment." Before launching a successful stage and screenwriting career, Robert graduated from Tulane University School of Law, but instead of taking the bar exam, he opted to become an actor in New York. After years of productive work as an actor in voiceovers and commercials, Harling was inspired to write the highly acclaimed stage play STEEL MAGNOLIAS, which was based on events from his personal life. STEEL MAGNOLIAS continues to thrive in theatrical productions throughout the world. Immediately bridging a career from stage to screen, Harling adapted his original play into the popular film of the same title, which starred Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah. Over the years, Mr. Harling has become a much sought-after screenwriter: other credits, to name a few, include "Soapdish," which was based on Harling’s acting experience and starred Sally Field, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robert Downey Jr., and "FIRST WIVES CLUB" for Paramount, starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton. |