Steel Magnolias

Critiqued by Holly Bartges

January 24, 2009

There are skillions and skillions of available scripts by word master playwrights. Many of which rarely, if ever, experience the interaction with the Boards. When a play becomes a royal chestnut, produced over and over, it’s enough to make a critic scream. That’s when the critic must remember production companies do not choose scripts to please critics. They choose scripts because they itch to produce a particular play. They choose scripts because their theatre people request them. They choose scripts for a hundred different reasons. Pleasing critics doesn’t appear anywhere on the list.

The cast of the Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League's "Steel Magnolias" at the Aurora Fox. Photo credit: Michael Ensminger

And then PHAMALY, (Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League, Inc.) comes along, producing a grand old chestnut that has seen stage lights many, many, many times, becoming acquainted with skillions of Boards.

Only with PHAMALY, there is a difference. No matter how many times one has seen Steel Magnolias, PHAMALY takes it into a new dimension, and it becomes a brand new play. In our current gasping economy while Hope waits in the wings, PHAMALY’S choice for Steel Magnolias currently playing at the Aurora Fox Theatre, was a sheer, total serendipitous inspiration.

Under the creative and perceptive direction of Nick Sugar, Steel Magnolias stands firm as a production that should not be missed by anyone. Maybe you’ve seen it so often you know the lines, or think you know the lines, but the actors remind you they take it from the perspective of another dimension, with wisdom, determination, taking nothing for granted. The lines may be familiar. The characters may appear as old friends, but there’s something very different. It’s very like realizing someone you’ve known for a long time, does something, says something, decides something out of character, and that maybe you don’t really know this person at all.

Steel Magnolias, a near oxymoron connecting soft gorgeous flowers to something as hard and strong as steel.

In a small Louisiana town, centered in a local beauty salon Truvy Jones’ husband transformed their home’s garage and driveway into a salon. Truvy reserves Saturday for her neighborhood clients. The come for manicures and have their hair done. Mostly they come to socialize, gossip, laugh, tease, and support each other, longing for the unique connection they share. Sometimes the come weighted down with complaints. Sometimes something is said, encouragement is given that changes one’s life. Sometimes the unexpected changes lives, but they have each other for support when they laugh, when they gossip, when they grieve. It’s small town life, saturated with small town concerns. In the midst comes a major life concern, like death and separation. Pettiness, complaints, disappear and the small town people become giants in humanity’s often-cruel games.

The cast of Steel Magnolias wrap themselves tightly in their characters with ownership, comprehension, poignancy, silliness, biting complaints, tantalizing barbs, and then demonstrate what humanity is made of: steel magnolias.

On an awesome set that blows the mind of a 1970’s beauty salon with everything pink, and tools of the trade, leaving one thinking the doorway into the theatre wasn’t just any normal doorway, but a time machine. Designed by Stuart Barr, he used the inspiration of Denver’s 6th Avenue Beauty Shop where Gloria Shanstrom’s mother has gone for years. Outside the front door, trees stretch along the once-upon-a-time driveway. The brilliance of the sky-filled colors changes with the time of day in its lighting designed by Jen Orf. It’s so stunningly designed and executed, it is difficult to believe it covers the back stage instead of the outdoors. After the Opening Night performance, several audience members wander onto stage laughing with recognitions exclaiming, “I had a hair dryer like that.” only to get the response, “Me too.” Or “I remember that kind of wall paper”, or I use to go to a salon that looked just like this.”

In the many, many times I have seen this play that never happened.

Leslie Rusher wonderfully captures the heart and soul of Truvy who is found interviewing a potential hairdresser by having Annelle Dupuy Desota nervously demonstrate her skills. Slightly ditsy, Truvy sees something in Annelle that this young woman has either forgotten to see in herself, or has allowed her life scrapes in which to hide. Played by Briana Berthlaume, Annelle runs the gambit of nervous klutz to confident hairdresser finding religion along the way. Of course, she made coffee for the Saturday morning clients. Of course, she found the hot water on the stove. It wasn’t her fault she neglected to see the hot dogs at the bottom of the pot. Berthlaume is simply magnificent carrying Annelle through her many different personas; finding comfort in telling the truth, finding comfort in clinging to conservative religion, finding strength in praying for everyone, and finding genuine love and support by growing into herself.

Rusher throws herself into Truvy’s soul, soaking up and enjoying her Mother Hen role, soothing hurt feelings, chuckling over meaningless gossip, humoring the pretend bitterness of Ouiser Boudreaux deliciously played by Regon Linton. Ouiser bites, snarls, wiggles, complains about everything and everyone. Linton’s take on her is one of the funniest personifications of Ouiser I’ve ever seen. Yes, she’s serious, but with her freedom to spit out what she feels, her neighborhood crowd loves her, as does the audience. She’s difficult to recognize after the house lights replace the stage lights. Her makeup is amazing. Her lines are seriously funny and funnily serious at the same time. When push comes to shove, Ouiser’s light shines.

Leslie Rusher, left, offers a coif with advice to Lyndsay Palmer at Truvy s Beauty Salon in PHAMALY s production of Steel Magnolias. . Photo credit: Michael Ensminger

On this particular Saturday it is Shelby Eatenton’s wedding day in the 1980’s, nestled in Chinquapin, Louisiana, Played by the lovely Lyndsay Palmer, she brings a sweetness, an honest excitement, youthful hope, and strong determination to Shelby. She loves being in love, she loves her fiancé, and she can’t wait to have her own baby, trembling with anticipation to become Mrs. Latcherie.  The young beautiful Shelby abounds with youthful spirit and optimism. Her eyes see only the good. Her sense of humor warms everyone who comes close. Lyndsay Palmer’s portrayal rivals even the best. Life couldn’t be better, everything is magical; everything will continue to be magical.

Well, there is one small problem, but even that one small problem won’t be allowed to damper her spirits. It’s her mother.

M’Lynn tends to be overly protective of her daughter, thinking her daughter should do and want to do things exactly as she would. “No, no don’t weal your hair up. What? Baby’s Breath wrapped around your hair? How could you?”  M’Lynn doesn’t want to pour cold water on her daughter’s decisions. It’s just that she loves her so much, wants to protect her in every way, wants her to be happy, but the way she wants her to be. She has good reason.

Lucy Roucis brings M’Lynn to wondrous life, firm, staunch, outspoken, laced with honest love for her ambitious daughter. Oh, the story behind M’Lynn, and, oh, the story behind Roucis. This is where, why, and how Steel Magnolias gets deeply personal in humanity’s life.

Clairee Belcher, still wobbling from the death of her husband, one of the best mayor’s Chinquapin has known, Truvy and her neighbors offer support and comfort. Amber Marsh takes on Clairee timing the transformation from an uneasy lost widow to a strong businesswoman to perfection, carefully finding her own center of being. In many of the productions of Steel Magnolias, the role of Clairee is sort of just there. Marsh invades Clairee’s personality wearing it with pride. She’s a part of the community and she belongs. It was in Truvy’s solon she discovers her truth, learning to believe it, and acting on her new found belief.

For PHAMALY artists to take on these issues, wear them on their sleeves, while diligently reveals their own heart and soul, takes the breath away.

PHAMALY’S artists live with additional challenges than other actors. They live with Airport Syndrome, an inherited disease of the kidneys affecting the inner ear and eye; spinal cord injuries, Bipolar disorder, hard of hearing, and Parkinson’s Disease. Through a miraculous surgery Roucis can for the first time turn around, a fact most of us take for granted, but Lucy has had to retrain her brain to know how. An accomplished actor, she can now stand tall with only tremors in her hands and feet. Providing honesty to M’Lynn’s reason for worry, and strength in heartbreak. Lucy’s Parkinson’s has been well known for a long time, but it has never stopped her; just as the disabilities of the others have never stopped them. That in itself is worth a ponder or two.

That is what makes PHAMALY so astonishing and inspiring. They don’t hide. They don’t make excuses. They don’t complain. They grab onto a play like Steel Magnolias and deal with the trivia, the small complaints, the fun and not-so-fun gossip, and the huge concerns like death and grief with all of its horrendous reality, causing tears to well, and the throat to tighten. It’s life in a small Louisiana town. It’s life in the Denver Community. It’s life. Period. As actors they have something to say, allowing outspoken characters to reveal the horror, the dignity, the truth of what it means to be human. They may have disabilities, but their courage to live, their courage to follow their dreams, their courage to embrace life, their courage to stand up and be counted, speaks boldly to the entire universe.

Call now for reservations. To miss this experience would be a crime against your own humanity. And that is the truth.

Steel Magnolias
By Robert Harlin; Directed by Nick Sugar