Iconic southern comedy-drama “Steel Magnolias” blooms on the Lees-McRae stage
For many women, the salon is a sacred place. A place for friends to come together and share stories, reflect on the past, and ponder on what’s next. This is certainly the case for the women at the heart of the college’s latest Theatre Arts production, “Steel Magnolias.”
The play, on which the beloved film of the same name is based, will open in Hayes Auditorium in February. There will be two evening performances at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 and Friday, Feb. 13 and two matinee performances at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 15.
This comedy-drama revolves around an inter-generational group of Louisiana women as they gather in Truvy’s Salon and share humor, gossip, joy, and heartbreak.
“The story is so iconic, and I grew up hearing all these lines. My mom quotes the movie all the time. It’s such a big part of the southern zeitgeist, so I’ve always felt drawn to that,” senior Musical Theatre major LillyRuth Beck said.
Beck plays Shelby Eatenton, one of the show’s central characters who is portrayed by Julia Roberts in the feature film. Beck said Shelby has long been a dream role of hers, and that she is drawn to the character’s complexity and evolution throughout the show, which follows Shelby through some of the most important moments of her life.
Beck is what she refers to as a “Shelby empathizer,” meaning she feels in tune with the way her character thinks and moves through the world. While she said some audience members may view Shelby’s decisions as rash or confusing, it is Beck’s goal to make Shelby better understood.
“It makes her difficult because she does come with a lot of baggage. But I do get the opportunity to maybe sway someone to understand why she makes the decisions she does. That is lovely but also challenging,” Beck said. “She kind of looks like a pageant girl on paper, but she’s so much more than that, and I think that’s what intrigued me most when auditioning for the role of Shelby.”
Another “Shelby empathizer” is the show’s director, Musical Theatre alumna JoBeth Hilton ’23, who is making her professional directorial debut with “Steel Magnolias.” Since graduating, Hilton has kept in close contact with the program’s faculty, and when Program Coordinator for Theatre Arts Michael Hannah floated the idea of directing the show by her, she jumped at the opportunity.
“It’s my favorite straight play; it always has been. I did it once before this, and I’ve done a lot of scenes from it for different classes and stuff. Southern, strong women, funny—it lends itself to the touch of JoBeth,” Hilton said.
While Hilton did some student directing while in the program at Lees-McRae, this is her first time getting to call the shots in a professional setting. She said she was nervous at first to be in charge, but she thought back to the lessons she learned as a student to guide her.
The college’s Theatre Arts program focuses on giving students experience in all aspects of theatre production, from performing to costumes to lighting. So, while the majority of Hilton’s theatre experience is as a performer, she was confident in her ability to succeed in the role of director.
“A big thing that Dr. Mike and Josh [Yoder] both touched on is that a director doesn’t have to have all the answers. I think maybe that’s why I was a little bit skittish of directing at first, because I was like, ‘Well I don’t have all the answers.’ Once they really instilled that it’s not about knowing all the answers, it’s about working with your cast and crew to find those answers, I was like, ‘Oh! It’s just more like leading in a collaborative way,’” she said.
Both Hilton and Beck said that this production has not only been about the relationships between the characters, but also about strengthening the friendships between the women playing them. With themes of friendship, community, and supporting one another, “Steel Magnolias” will have something to offer for every audience member who has been supported by loved ones through good times and bad.
“This show has made me think of my ‘steel magnolias’: my grandmother, my mother, my sister, my friends that I grew up with in my small town. I hope audience members realize how friendships can be so meaningful,” Beck said.
Tickets for all performances of “Steel Magnolias” are available now
