Southern belles sound off in 'Steel Magnolias'

Life twists and turns for the ladies of a Louisiana beauty shop.

By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN, Times Staff Writer
Published September 28, 2007

Steel Magnolias director Maurice A. Batista instructs the cast during a rehearsal at the Spring Hill playhouse. The production runs weekends through Oct. 14.
	[Ross Mantle | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Ross Mantle | Times] Saundra Heebsh, who plays Truvy, looks over the set before a rehearsal of Steel Magnolias at Stage West Community Playhouse.

The comedy-drama Steel Magnolias made its Off-Broadway stage debut in March 1987 and in the two decades since then has been a movie, a Broadway show, a television pilot and a perennial favorite in community and regional theaters.

Stage West Community Playhouse opens its version of the all-female show in the Forum on Oct. 5 for a two-weekend run.

The story is told from a tiny beauty shop in the small town of Chinquapin, La., owned by the wise-cracking Truvy (Saundra Heebsh), the shop's only beautician and the linchpin for a group of women who have become dear friends over the years of meeting at her shop.

The big news at Truvy's is the upcoming wedding of young and lovely Shelby (Amy Baldwin), the daughter of longtime customer M'Lynn (Morgan Reid).

M'Lynn is happy about the marriage, but worried that Shelby will decide to have children, which could endanger her life, as she has Type 1 diabetes.

Sympathizing are her friends Clairee Belcher (Pat Ryan), a gracious Southern lady, and Ouiser Boudreaux (Betsy Glasson), a loud, blunt-speaking curmudgeon who declares, "I'm not crazy; I've just been in a very bad mood for the past 40 years."

Truvy's new assistant is Annelle (Katie Van Bemden), a shy, introverted girl who blossoms into a party animal and, later, a religious fundamentalist.

The story winds its way through about a year in the women's lives, where, together, they face tragedy and loss and enjoy laughter and good gossip.

As Clairee says, "You know what they say: 'If you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me.'"

The play marks the first lead role for Ms. Heebsh, who performed in Golden Revue and operated sound and/or lights for Charley's Aunt and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

A Southerner by birth, Ms. Heebsh has performed in public since the age of 6, when she sang her first solo at the Baptist Church where her father was minister.

Ms. Baldwin is playing the role of Shelby for the second time, the first being almost 15 years ago with the Center Stage Players in Dade City. She has been in more than a dozen plays with that and various other groups.

Ms. Van Bemden is making her debut with Stage West, but she played major characters in several productions at Genesis Preparatory School before graduating from the University of Florida.

Ms. Reid is also making her Stage West debut as M'Lynn, but her resume includes a long list of credits in film, television and live theater in New York and Los Angeles.

Rounding out the cast are two Stage West veterans: Ms. Ryan, who was Emma in Over the River and Through the Woods and Mother Superior in Agnes of God; and Ms. Glasson, who has won six HAMI Awards for lead roles in South Pacific, Moon Over Buffalo and Victor/Victoria and supporting female roles in Rumors, Carnival and Over the River and Through the Woods.

If you go

'Steel Magnolias'

Where: The Forum at Stage West Community Playhouse, 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill

When: 8 p.m. Oct. 5, 6, 12 and 13 and2 p.m. Oct. 7 and 14.

Tickets: $10, reserved seating. Box office is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and one hour before each show. Call (352) 683-5113.

[Last modified September 27, 2007, 20:37:46]