Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Carousel Theatre Of Indianola
This beautiful story of friendship runs through October 30.
We all long for friendship, and they get us through some of the most challenging times in our lives. Carousel Theatre of Indianola explores the relationships we build with our friends through their revival production of Robert Harling's "Steel Magnolias."
The production opened to a sold-out opening night on October 21 and runs for one more weekend through October 30. Not only does their production focus on the power of friendships, but it has also been billed with a production team of women.
"Steel Magnolias," tells the story of a group of friends who gather at Truvy Jones' salon over a period of years. When we first meet them, they gather as they prepare for Shelby Eatenston's wedding. We soon see that Shelby and her mother, M'Lynn Eatenton don't see eye to eye. When Shelby has an episode from her diabetes in the salon on her wedding day, we quickly see the power of the friendship these women have as all of them quickly take action. Over the rest of the play, we see how meaningful these friendships are as we see them tested through the show, leading up to one of the most powerful endings.
Since announcing the show, Carousel has been sharing that the production team would be all women. While a great idea, to me, the story they told was deeper. They formed a production team of people, stepping into these positions for the first time, that happened to be women. This team consisted of Erika Eckley as Director. Corey Epley as Stage Manager, Adi Thompson as Set Designer, Heather Roberts as Sound Designer, Natalie Morrill as Lighting Designer, and Denise Moss as Costume Designer. Each element has moments where they stand out on its own, from the bright green walls to the bright pink seen in the costumes, they all manage to come together beautifully.
What made this production special was the women on stage bringing these characters to life. Having been a part of Carousel for many years, I've had the joy of watching these women work together. Having previously worked together allowed the bond between the women in the show to be already built in. This bond can be seen in how Karin Hooper as Truvy Jones, Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, Mickie Larche as Ouiser Boudreaux, and Deb Hade as Clairee Belcher. From the top of the show, the bond and trust between these ladies is undeniable on stage.
The emotional pull for this show comes from two ladies, each giving one of their best performances. The first is Mariah Kerns as Shelby Eatenton. Having worked with Carousel for many years, I've enjoyed watching Mariah grow as an actor, from an ensemble member to a leading lady. She can bring that quirky humor that Shelby has to life on stage but also finds the right time to bring out that humor.
When you think of all the characters in "Steel Magnolias," one character that truly sticks out to me as made of steel, yet delicate as a magnolia, and that is M'Lynn Eatenton, played in this production by Beth Coffey. She brings this character to life who spends her life as tough as steel, no matter what life throws at her. It pays off in the final scene, where she allows her character to show her fragility and truly open up about how she feels. She leaves everyone on stage, as well as the audience, in tears.
It's a performance that audiences won't soon forget.
Friendship is such a valuable part of life. When things get tough, it is our friends who we fall back on. When a group of friends can come together to tell a story like this, it elevates the story to a new level. With a sold-out opening weekend, Carousel Theatre's production of "Steel Magnolias" is sure to sell out again as it finishes its run on October 30.
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