Stagecrafters' STEEL MAGNOLIAS Focuses on the Power of Friendship

Stagecrafters presents Steel Magnolias onstage at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S Lafayette Avenue, in downtown Royal Oak.

Strong as steel, fragile as magnolias. The six Southern women of Chinquapin, Louisiana, show more steel than delicacy as they face life's ups and downs together. Truvy's home beauty parlor is their gathering place, where they gossip, needle, and jab each other with good-humored zingers. But when push comes to shove, these friends are there for one another, especially in the darkest of times.

For director Rich Wilson, it was important to find actresses who could connect with one another onstage. The unbreakable bonds of friendship between these women is central to the story, so the affection between the characters must be authentic and relatable. Says Wilson, "When people identify with the characters, they find they have a vested interest and want to know what will happen next with 'their' character. They are just not watching a story, but in a sense they are watching themselves up on stage."

That Wilson found actresses who truly feel their characters isn't in doubt. In fact, several are playing roles for a second or third time. Maggie Gilkes has played Ouiser twice before, and Julie Fuller is taking her second turn as M'Lynn, having also appeared in two other productions of Steel Magnolias, once as Shelby and in another as Truvy. The show is, in fact, a favorite among actresses, due to the richness of the roles, the quirky characters and the compelling storyline.

Steel Magnolias first premiered Off Broadway in 1987 and made its Broadway debut in 2005. The movie was filmed in 1989 and starred Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts and Sally Field.

Show tickets are $20 on Thursdays and $23.50 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Tickets may be purchased online at stagecrafters.org (online handling fees apply) or by phone at 248-541-6430, Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 2 pm, using Visa or MasterCard. All seats are reserved and there are no refunds or exchanges on individual tickets. If shows have not sold out, tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour prior to the performance. Student, military and senior discounts are available for specific performances. The Baldwin Theatre is located at 415 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067.

Steel Magnolias is rated PG and runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.

On Friday, March 9th, join us for Toast Club, an opening night pre-glow featuring complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages. Doors open at 7 pm, and all guests with a ticket to the opening night performance can partake.

Stagecrafters, a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit community theatre, is in its 62nd year of providing opportunities for members of the community to develop their talents and to volunteer their time to create an enriching, quality theatrical experience through its Main Stage, 2nd Stage, and Youth Theatre productions. At the Baldwin Theatre since 1985, Stagecrafters has been named Best Community Theatre by Hour Detroit, Detroit Metro Times, and Daily Tribune. Stagecrafters offers shows that appeal to a wide variety of ages and interests and prides itself on providing professional quality shows at affordable prices, making the performing arts accessible to all.

To post a comment, you must register and login.