Review by Neal Newman
February 4, 2023
Let’s get right to it. Act II Playhouse’s rendition of Robert Harling’s STEEL MAGNOLIAS, directed by Megan Bellwoar, is one of the best productions I’ve ever seen. And that includes at least three previous professional and community theatre versions. I considered it a very good play, but I think Harling is up there with Chekhov. “Why?” is a tricky question, but I’ll try to explain.
But first, a bit of the story. It is 1987 in Chinquapin, Louisiana, a small town that lives for high school football, gun culture, religion, and holiday festivals. The setting is Truvy’s beauty salon, realistically designed (Meghan Jones) and lit (James Leitner), with a slight touch of tackiness, suggesting the owner’s lower-class background. The excellent costumes (Janus Stefanowicz) are changed frequently and reflect the town’s and the characters’ class system and the changing seasons. And the wigs (Bridget Brennan) suggest the ladies’ concern for their appearance and the skill that makes Truvy’s the best salon in the town. Even affluent ladies of a certain age go there. There is a wisp of a plot in which one lady’s daughter is being married at the beginning, but her type-one diabetes concerns everyone. It’s about the bad but loving relationships of the ladies involved. Well, Chekhov wasn’t too much for plot either.
Harling has sprinkled the play, especially the first act, with clever wisecracks that suggest a sitcom. Truvy’s motto is “There is no such thing as natural beauty.” Or “I always wanted to go to Baltimore because I’ve heard it’s the hairdressing capital of the world.” Or another lady: “Instead of playing hard to get, at her age, she should be playing Beat the Clock.” These jokes frequently mislead actors, and some critics, into thinking Harling has written a sitcom. A sitcom means that one laugh is needed for every fourth line, delivered in an overloud monotone, followed by a slight smirk meaning “I really didn’t mean that.” Not here.
This production is truthful and deeply felt from the start. The laughs are there but seem to spring naturally from the character’s needs. Bellwoar’s careful staging accentuates the natural spread of life, including some complex hairdressing, which is easily handled. The actors are also terrific at handling subtext, covering their deep affection with a surface of testy remarks.
The second problem is that the play has a reputation for being “chick-lit.” Although written by a man, what real man would want to attend a play with six female characters set in a beauty parlor? But the truth is that Harling and Bellwoar create a world. In a profoundly Southern world, people hear frequent gunshots and ignore them. It’s just the men just playing around with their toys. And the Evangelical minister is suing the football team because they are called “The Devils.” Class is clearly defined as well. Most of these wealthy ladies would never run into Truvy at the Piggly Wiggly.
But enough analysis, the cast is fantastic. Mary Carpenter, as Truvy obviously rules the place and controls the gossip. She constantly reminds the ladies, “there are no secrets in this room.” She also has a bawdy streak which the ladies find delightfully offensive. Truvy’s assistant, Annelle (Kelsey Herbert), is also from a lower-class background and has a poignant moment with a lengthy speech when she defends her Evangelical beliefs. The wealthiest lady Clairee (Carolyn Nelson), skillfully handles the subtext of her love/hate relationship with Ousier, played by Penelope Reed. Miss Ousier seems to be the typical sitcom cranky lady, but Reed brings a touching humanity to her as she re-meets and falls for an old beau. M’Lynn, (Sabrina Profitt) has a caustic relationship with her daughter but later handles the dramatic scenes with moving skills. The daughter, played by Jenna Kuerzi, brings surprising depth to the ailing Shelby, especially when she ignores her own problems to concentrate on and help the other older friends. Kuerzi also has an impressive and subtle vocal range, which adds to the characterization. The pacing and comedy timing is flawless, and the switch to a dramatic ending is handled brilliantly. I was surrounded by audience members laughing uproariously and wiping away tears simultaneously. I compare that moment with UNCLE VANYA’s epiphany when Vanya enters carrying a gun saying, “I missed.”
The tiny theater was packed with an exuberant audience. Tickets for this production will be hard to get. Better order yours now.
Running Time: Two hours and ten minutes with an intermission,
STEEL MAGNOLIAS plays through February 26, 20023, at 56 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA. Tickets can be ordered at act2.org or by calling 215-654-200.