Steel Magnolias a Thing of Beauty at The Players Club of Swarthmore

Theater: The Players Club of Swarthmore

Show Title: Steel Magnolias
Opened: March 13, 2008
Seen: March 16, 2008
Reviewer: Kate Winward

Submitted: March 17, 2008

There are few things in life that compare to the bond of friendship, the love of a mother for her child, and the strength of a woman in times of adversity. The Players Club of Swarthmore has done an amazing job of depicting each of these in beautiful detail in their production of Steel Magnolias.

Written by Robert Harling in 1987 and based on the death of his sister, Steel Magnolias tells the story of six “Southern Belles” who meet regularly in their local beauty salon for a little pampering, some juicy gossip, and the love and support that only girlfriends can offer. The irony of the title lies in the fact that these women, while considered delicate flowers, continually show their strength no matter what challenges life hands them.

Set solely in Truvy’s Beauty Shop, we learn about each of the characters and their lives exclusively through the dialog between the women in the salon. It is passing comments that let us know that, however unlikely, Clairee and Ouiser have been friends for most of their lives, that Truvy’s relationships with her husband and sons are strained to say the least, and that Annelle goes from being a shy young girl to a partier to a self assured woman who found God. And while we get to know each of these women through the course of the production, the main storyline focuses on Shelby, her battle with diabetes, her struggle to find happiness, and her mother M’lynn’s desire to protect her daughter.

Each of the women shone in their role throughout the play. Bernadette Langdon’s Truvy was delightful from the moment the curtain went up. Amie Lytle did a wonderful job of portraying the timid Annelle, and transformed with her character as the story progressed. Joan Bickel as Clairee and Mary Jane Zimmerman as Ouiser were an incredible pair, and some of their best moments on stage were spent together. I appreciated the emotion the two of them displayed, and I found myself laughing and crying along with them.

Cait O’Driscoll was a flawless Shelby. There was one scene in particular, when she had just shared the news of her pregnancy with her concerned mother, where she embodied a woman pleading for her mother’s support. It was beautifully done.

And finally, Nancy Bennett as M’lynn was impeccable. Throughout the production, she was consistently a voice of reason, the level-headed member of the group, and an obviously devoted mother who only wanted the best for her daughter. It was in the final scene, after she experiences the most tragic loss, that M’lynn drops her calm façade, and expresses the total anguish, rage, and sorrow that she is feeling. Nancy was incredible in this scene, and her performance was unbelievably heartbreaking.

Everyone at The Players Club has done a wonderful job of putting this well-known and well-loved show together. A woman sitting behind me in the audience said she has seen this show countless times, all over the area, but this was by far the best she’s seen. And I have to agree- this show is fantastic. It will have you laughing out loud and crying along with the women on stage.

Steel Magnolias runs through March 29^th at The Players Club of Swarthmore. For tickets and information call 610-328-4271 or visit www.pcstheatre.org.