Chanticleers Theatre Presents STEEL MAGNOLIAS

Chanticleers Theatre ("Chanticleers") is proud to present Steel Magnolias, a play by Robert Harling. The show will run from February 7, 2020 through March 1, 2020: Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm. All performances will take place at Chanticleers Theater, 3683 Quail Avenue, Castro Valley Community Center Park, Castro Valley, California. Tickets are $22-$27 each and may be purchased online at https://chanticleers.org/ or by calling 510-SEE-LIVE (510-733-5483). Group discounts also available.

Friendship never goes out of style! Make an appointment at Truvy's beauty salon where the ladies of Chinquapin meet to get their hair done and let their hair down. Through the clouds of hairspray and the buzz of blow dryers, six Southern spitfires swap gossip, wisecracks, and wisdom in this hilarious and heartwarming comedy that explores the bonds of friendship and the strength of women. Full of sass, style and sisterhood, Steel Magnolias will make you laugh 'til you cry with its big characters, big hair, and even bigger heart.

Synopsis:

Steel Magnolias is a stage play by American writer Robert Harling, based on his experience with his sister's death. The play is a comedy-drama about the bond among a group of Southern women in northwest Louisiana. The title suggests the "female characters are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel". The magnolia specifically references a magnolia tree they are arguing about at the beginning.

The play covers events over the next three years with Shelby's Type 1 diabetes and how the women interact at times with conflict but in the end remain friends: Shelby's decision to have a child despite the complication that could result from her condition, Clairee's friendship with the curmudgeon Ouiser; Annelle's transformation from a shy, anxious newcomer in town to a good-time girl then repentant revival-tent Christian; and Truvy's relationships with the men in her family. Although the main storyline involves Shelby, her mother M'Lynn, and Shelby's medical battles, the underlying group-friendship among all six women is prominent throughout the drama.

Director, actor, and designer spanning four decades in West Coast theatre, Kendall Tieck will make his Chanticleers Theatre directing debut with Steel Magnolias.

Tieck explains, "Robert Harling's 1987 play Steel Magnolias was the inspiration for the movie by the same title that featured a star-studded cast with Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts. The success of the play and the movie can be attributed to the story of six women and their relationships as they navigate some of life's greatest challenges together. Through a well-crafted script, and a set of endearing characters, men and women alike will find the moments of comedy and drama unfolding together in a heart-warming, uplifting story of life."

Tieck will be supported in bringing this vision to the stage with Scenic and Lighting Design by Jon Gourdine and Costume Design by Amy Cook.

Performing in Steel Magnolias will be Jamie Strube as "Shelby", Anya Cherniss as "Annelle", Julie Etzel as "M'Lynn", Cynthia Lagodzinski as "Truvy", Eve Tieck as "Ouiser", and Sally Hogarty as "Clairee".

Chanticleers Theatre is a nonprofit community theater organization with a rich history dating back to 1948. Today, Chanticleers Theatre is a 99-seat playhouse, serving Castro Valley and the greater East Bay. Known as "Castro Valley's Little Theatre in the Park", Chanticleers is located in the Castro Valley Community Park right across from the new Veteran's Memorial and next to the children's "water" park and playground.

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