‘Steel Magnolias’ show debuts at Campus Theatre

“You got in the chair and turned around all the way to face the mirror. I don’t know if you need to turn around all the way when talking to Annelle.”

Director Iona Pendergast was striding around the swivel chair of Truvy’s beauty salon, discussing with junior Lizzie Spratt how to make the scene look best.

“You could just sit in the chair like this, and maybe glance over your shoulder at the mirror.”

Pendergast is the director of the play “Steel Magnolias,” the upcoming production from the fall theater season ‘A Southern Celebration: Welcome Home.’

Charmaine Tesina | gcsunade.com

From left, Gabby Byndloss, Lizzie Spratt, Lauren Adel, Hannah Schumacher and Erin Borain rehearse for Steel Magnolias.

“It’s so much more than a beauty shop,” Pendergast explains. “Steel Magnolias is the story of six strong southern women, and how they deal with life, loss and everything in between. It’s easy to relate to the characters, which means the play is less about portraying emotion than it is about feeling it.”

The entire play takes place in the salon of Truvy Jones, played by Lizzie Spratt. Most of the alteration in scenery is a consequence of a change in time.

All persons appearing in the play are female. In the introduction to the play, author Robert Harling stresses that “the women are not to be thought of as caricatures, but real people with real personalities.”

The concept of inclusion was very important in the making of the play. Stage manager and senior Stacey Silverman says, “When you walk in, you’re actually entering Truvy’s Salon. We want the audience to feel as much like flies on the wall as possible.”

The play uses a unique stage setup: the seats of the audience are practically side-by-side with those in the salon. This means that, rather than viewing performers on a stage, the audience will be able to see the personal reactions between the characters in the play.

Preparation for the play is extensive. Rehearsals began at the end of September, and 25 more are scheduled to occur before the weekend prior to the show. During the last weekend before the play, technical elements will be finalized, and the show will open on Nov. 9, in a gala event.

When asked about expectations for the premier, Stacey replied, “We’re expecting many people the first time. The whole house, which is about 150 seats, should easily sell out.”

Pendergast encourages people to buy their tickets online, since there is a high possibility that there won’t be any chance of paying at the door.

The show will open to the public on Nov. 9, and will run until Nov. 21. It will play from Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Russell Auditorium.

Posted by Jefferson Kiefer on Nov 5 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.