A Brother’s Touching Tribute

Steel Magnolias – Theatre at the Center

 

Robert Harling skipped his bar exam, upon completion of a law degree from Tulane University. He, instead, headed off to New York City to pursue a career as an actor. Then, in 1985, Harling was devastated by the sudden loss of his beloved younger sister to kidney failure. Because of her Type 1 diabetes, Susan had been warned that having a child would likely be dangerous to her health. However, she ignored her physician’s advice, gave birth and died before her son reached school age.

A friend of Mr. Harling suggested that he might ease some of his profound sorrow by expressing his feelings in a short story. He did this, and then took it a step further by turning the story into a play. The affectionate, comic drama, which featured an all-female cast, opened Off Broadway in 1987, where it ran for three years; the play later launched a National Tour and ultimately moved to Broadway in 2005. The show became an international hit, as well. Eventually Harling adapted his play for the silver screen. The popular film featured an all-star cast, which included Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and a young Julia Roberts (who was nominated for an Academy Award).

The play is set inside Truvy’s Beauty Spot, a rural home hair salon, in the fictional Parish of Chinquapin, Louisiana. It’s Shelby’s wedding day, and the blushing, young bride-to-be eagerly arrives at Truvy’s to have her hair styled like Grace Kelly. Syrupy sweet Truvy has just hired an mousey, new-girl-in-town named Annelle to assist her. Clairee, the town’s former First Lady, arrives with recipes to trade and gossip to share. Soon Shelby’s cautiously overprotective, loving mama, M’Lynn, drops in to be turned into a radiant Mother of the Bride. Eventually Ouiser, the town curmudgeon and Clairee’s best friend, shows up to complain about Shelby’s father, who keeps firing his gun at birds and has stripped their shared magnolia tree of all its blossoms.

Harling’s play progresses from April to December, through the next June and, finally, to the following November. During the course of the play, which is essentially a cheerful, charming and caring portrait of six typical, small town Southern women, we track Shelby’s journey from eager, young bride to tragic victim of diabetes. Shelby is Robert Harling’s fictional version of his sister, Susan, and M’Lynn is based on his own selfless mother. The playwright has created a half dozen memorable, hilarious and often racy characters, undoubtedly based upon real people in his life.

Collectively and individually they spout some of the funniest dialogue ever heard in a play, dozens of lines that have become comic classics. Ouiser shouts, “I’m not crazy. I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years!” Truvy observes, “Sammy’s so confused he don’t know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt.” And Clairee’s pronouncement that “The only thing that separates us from the animals is the ability to accessorize” ranks up there with her declaration that “If you can’t say anything nice about anybody, come sit by me.”

Directed with more sugar and spice than a serving of sweet tea and barbecued pork, Linda Fortunato leads her talented six actresses through this honeyed, homey two-act comic drama. Southern charm radiates throughout this production, thanks to a captivating cast of characters. Chicago favorite, Heidi Kettenring, graduates from the role of assistant Annelle, in TATC’s 1990 production of Harling’s play, to play Beauty Spot owner, Truvy. She is, as always, sheer perfection as the primary character who keeps everyone around her in motion. Truvy opens the play with authority, gently cajoling her friends with humor and charisma, continuing to guide them through their various trials and tribulations. In this role, Heidi is warm, witty and full of Louisiana wisdom. She is, in short, the perfect Southern hostess.

As Shelby, lovely Landree Fleming returns to TATC in another role she was born to play. Funny, feisty and, despite a life-threatening ailment, ironically filled with a lust for life, Shelby is one courageous young woman. Played by Ms. Fleming with her typical, natural candor and straightforward tenacity, this actress creates a steel magnolia who’s on the verge of blooming. As Shelby’s strong, selfless mother, M’Lynne, Cory Goodrich also returns to the Munster stage in a subtly nuanced performance. The actress gently demonstrates her own kind of steel. In Ms. Goodrich’s hands, this magnolia is quietly chivalrous and lovingly generous, to a fault. It isn’t until the final scene when audiences will finally see how this brave woman has been holding everything inside for so long. It’s an award-winning performance that audiences will long recall.

Half of the cast make their bright debuts on the Theatre at the Center stage. Joslyn Yvonne Jones makes an auspicious debut as waspish Ouiser. Playing this crotchety, yet comic character, Ms. Jones is a true treasure. She’s one of the characters infusing this sweet production with some much-relished notes of bitter pessimism. As Ouiser, Ms. Jones creates a promising first impression. Joining her, Jeannie Affelder, as her best friend, Clairee, also appears in Munster for the first time. Quietly tossing zingers at her friends, like barbed confetti, Ms. Affelder is both genuine and genteel in her portrayal. Myesha-Tiara also launches her TATC career in the role of Annelle. At first, Annelle’s a shy, eager-to-please newcomer to the small community; but by the end of the play she has nicely settled in, becoming a respected young, religious woman, able to offer her own brand of wisdom and comfort for her new friends.

The only problem with this production is purely technical. Greg Pinsoneault’s sprawling scenic design, while period-appropriate and incredibly detailed, encompasses far too much space. This isn’t entirely his fault, since the Theatre at the Center stage is so vast. It was built for large-cast musicals, not intimate, six-character comedies. Truvy’s beauty parlor, supposedly created out of a repurposed home carport, is unrealistically enormous. The space has none of the communal closeness that this story demands. However, Brenda Winstead’s costumes and Kevin Barthel’s hair and wigs are very appropriate for time and place. Michael Trudeau’s lighting plot nicely illuminates the playing area and the sound design by Barry G. Funderburg is spot-on.

Being over 30 years old, it’s a testimony to Robert Harling’s comic genius that his drama has withstood time. Now almost a period piece, this play continues to charm and amuse audiences with its spicy, homespun humor and gentle, genuine characters. But it’s the deep-seated friendships that really make this play hum because they feel honest and kindhearted. For many theatergoers, this is the world we’re nostalgic for today. Director Linda Fortunato and her gifted cast have smartly kept this element at the heart of their production in what’s essentially a loving brother’s touching tribute to a sister who left this world all too soon.

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

 

Presented February 24-March 25 by Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Rd., Munster, IN.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling them at 219-836-3255 or by going to www.theatreatthecenter.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.