There is something to be said for taking on a classic. It requires an organic infusion of personal experience to incorporate a fresh take on the subject matter, while remaining true to the integrity of the story itself. It was a blast to accomplish this with my ensemble of six women of color.
Another exciting aspect to explore with this script was the fact that our cast was entirely black! There were no changes to the script, but the material took on a different, more grounded feel as told by black women in the same shoes.
Steel Magnolias, the 1980's classic movie, based on a real life story by Robert Harling, explores a southern beauty shop of women banding together in the face of life’s most pressing coming of age struggles. It begins with my character Annelle, the newest of the bunch, escaping an abusive husband and joining beauty shop owner Truvy as her assistant. Hilarity and heartwarming conversations ensue as the rest of the women make their way into the shop. As the seasons pass, they provide riotous commentary on the state of womanhood and life as they know it. From marriage to life threatening illness, to becoming comfortable in their place in the world, the beauty of this script is the camaraderie of the women in all of their bluntest southern charm.
Jeremy Brown in his directorial debut, was an absolute joy to work with. He allowed the actors to explore the intricacies of our own emotional interpretation of the script, and provided a safe space to address the themes of mother-daughter relationships, marriage and spirituality.
We had one month to delve into character work and blocking rehearsals, but from the first rehearsal our chemistry together was remarkable, making for some hilarious scene work. Also, as black women, the theme of hair came up quite frequently among us even off stage, and we delighted in sharing tips and tricks with each other!
Finally, the actual show played to six audiences in an actual art studio (plot twist!) called Imagine Art, a lively venue with enough color to suffice for our 80’s setting. Without a raised platform as a stage, the audience felt like an extension of the beauty shop adding a tangible layer of intimacy.