Previews: STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Powerstories Theatre

On stage at Powerstories Theatre from September 15 through October 2 is the poignant tribute of a brother to his deceased sister, Robert Harling's Steel Magnolias. Directed by Bridget Bean, it is a play that received the Golden Globe and People's Choice awards for the movie that debuted in 1989.

For those unfamiliar, the play takes place in Chinquapin, Louisiana. The story centers upon the relationships between a mother, the bride-to-be who is a headstrong daughter, a widow of the ex-mayor, a cranky neighbor, a mysterious new employee, and the owner of the hair salon - loving friends and frenemies.

Set entirely in Truvy's beauty salon, Truvy is grateful "there's no such thing as natural beauty" as it keeps the ladies coming to her salon. Where the women gather to gossip and get their hair done, they share everything from recipes and relationships to matters of life and death. It tugs at the heartstrings and counters each tear with playful banter and laughter.

Starring Stefanie Coren-Marotta as Truvy, Courtney Holifield as Annelle, Joann Henry-Smith as Clairee, Logan Franke as Shelby, Monica Van Nort as M'Lynn, and Cinda Goeken as Ouiser, Steel Magnolias is a generational tale of how if women stick together, they can triumph over adversity.

Steel Magnolias offers everything you want in a play, a transformative journey, a balance of laugh-out-loud comedy and emotional drama. Despite being set in the 80s, the play's message is timeless. Strong women can endure anything if they have friends to help them through the rough parts.

"Choosing Steel Magnolias was like selecting comfort food when the country was struggling with Covid and other problems. I thought it would be heart-warming and healing to see women working together and positively living life," said theatre founder Fran Powers. "It's a loved and very recognizable play, so we're excited to get people back into the theatre again, and we knew that Steel Magnolias would be the perfect play to make that happen."

Tickets to Steel Magnolias are available at bit.ly/3Qc9Ook. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for seniors, students, and the military. Powerstories also seeks floral-themed artwork to display on their art wall in the lobby and online. Artists can submit interest until August 31 at bit.ly/3xp2MpG. Powerstories is proudly supported by the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.

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