Steel Magnolias
At Gateway Theatre until Oct. 22
Tickets: 604.270.1812
gatewaytheatre.com
Steel and magnolias aptly describe the southern belles who come together in Truvys House of Beauty, the best place in smalltown Chinquapin, Louisiana to get your hair done. Theyre as southern as big ol magnolias and mint juleps. When they call someone Honey, its as warm and sticky as the real thing on a hot day. But when the going gets tough, their resolve is as steely as Scarlett OHaras.
And things do get tough in Robert Harlings Steel Magnolias, which was adapted into 1989 movie starring Shirley MacLaine and Julia Roberts, among others. What begins as a lightweight look at women gossiping about their lives while Truvy applies the curlers becomes a group of strong women supporting another when disaster strikes.
Theres no such thing as natural beauty, claims eternally optimistic Truvy (Dolores Drake), and that keeps Clairee (Norma Bowen), Ouiser (Anna Hagan) and MLynn (Erin Ormond) coming back on a regular basis. MLynns daughter Shelby (Susan Coodin) probably isnt a regular but shes getting married today and wants her hair done up for the occasion. You get the feeling these women have known each other all their lives.
As the play starts, Truvy has just hired Annelle ((Sarah Carle) to help out in the beauty parlour. Carles Annelle is clumsy and awkward, squinting through her big glasses and scrunching up her face when shes bewilderedwhich seems to be most of the time.
Bowens Clairee is a matron of strong opinions who provides, late in the play and hilariouslyexactly what is needed to lift everyones spirits. Anna Hagans Ouiser is rich and scratchy, a classy dresser with flaming orange, out-of-the-bottle hair.
Clairee and Ouisers tell-it-like-it-is abrasiveness is in counterpoint to MLynns cool reserve and Shelbys excited girlishness. Ormond and Coodin show a mother/daughter relationship thats almost too sweet to be truebut Shelbys diabetes and single child status has, no doubt, forged a bond stronger than most. Ormond carries her cool to the breaking point and thats when those southern belles get to work.
Production values are good with a late-80s salon complete with styling chairs and a shampoo station. Harlings snappy dialogue encourages us to like and admire these women. And Shelbys struggle with diabetes elicits our sympathy. The plays weak point is that Harling goes on a bit; while its entertaining, theres a lot of filler. Director Nicola Cavendish keeps things moving along but cant conceal the fact that there is not enough dialoguealbeit funny and charmingto advance the plot.
I can only imagine how much fun rehearsals were for Cavendish and cast. Seven funny, articulate, talented women in one room. There would have been side-splitting laughter and maybe tears. For Cavendish, who, like Shelby, is a diabetic, it must have been particularly poignant.
This Chemainus Theatre Festival production entertained audiences on Vancouver Island all summer long before moving to Richmonds Gateway Theatre where it continues to please audiences. Served up with a shot of southern comfort, its all about the power of friendship.
joled@telus.net
