“Laughter Through Tears”
Grab your curlers and spill the tea, because it’s time for Steel Magnolias at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore! Playwright Robert Harling’s comedy-drama comes to stunning life through skilled direction and superb performing. Based on experiences from Harling’s life, Steel Magnolias tells the story of six women who become lifelong friends in a Louisiana nail salon, coming together to support each other through good times and bad. The play addresses the normal ups and downs in a small Louisiana town, with themes of independence, town gossip, mother-daughter relationships, personal growth, and unlikely friendships that would support the women through the toughest of times. The play also addresses the somewhat unknown topic of living with Type 1 Diabetes, and the complications that arise with victims and their families. Though serious at times, Steel Magnolias has the laughs and love that will make anyone feel at home in this small-town beauty salon.
Director Jim Morgan leads the ensemble in a “bucket list” production that shows his dedication to the actors and the playwright. With help from Assistant Director Chloe Scully, who also understudies for Clairee, and Stage Manager Kathy Case, Morgan sets the scene with remarkable precision. The placement of the two salon chairs at either ends of the stage allows for fun, constantly moving arguments and discussions that make the audience feel almost like they’re watching a tennis match, bouncing back and forth between the actors to be sure they don’t miss a second of sarcasm or wit. Though some characters spend an awful lot of time not speaking at points, Morgan’s direction has them constantly moving, whether sweeping the hair from the salon floor, thumbing through magazines, or just non-verbally reacting to the newest town gossip.
Costuming and makeup for the performance is nothing flashy. Overseen by the cast themselves, the actors typically wear clothing that wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary in most situations. In other words, perfection. Nothing over-the-top, just the normal dress that one would expect to see in a beauty salon. This allows the audience to easily become attached to the characters, because they don’t feel like characters, but real people. The costuming also helps the audience understand the passage of the three years, with just enough change to show each character’s growth. A particular standout in costuming is the hair design. Brandi Robinson’s hair consulting creates an incredibly realistic feel, especially with the ladies’ wigs. I found myself wondering how Emily Machovec (Shelby) was to grow her hair back after cutting it short in Scene 2, completely suspending disbelief to bond with the characters.
Cory Bauer plays multiple roles as Technical Director, Sound Designer, and Sound Tech. Though some of the sound effects are a little unbelievable, the use of music and radio voices (played by Bauer himself) set the mood for each scene, signaling the passage of time, and explaining just what’s going on in that little Louisiana town. The audience can’t help but wonder how the local football team did on Sunday, or what’s new in local government. Lighting Designer and Tech Ryan Jones uses simple yet understated lighting to set the mood. A back hallway light helped create a somber feeling to the final scene when the actors entered only in silhouette. Though the scene started with a few laugh lines, one could tell something was wrong, and that there was a new obstacle in the women’s lives.
Jim Morgan’s superb set design brings the audience into the world of the play immediately. With construction by George Elder and Morgan himself, the stage is disheveled, and quite often crowded, creating the reality of the carport-turned-beauty salon that is Truvy’s. It also creates a feeling of slight claustrophobia, making the world feel just a little smaller when the ladies take their time to work out the struggles of their lives in a realm where, while cluttered, everything has its own little place.
The six actors tasked with carrying out Harling’s message of heart and hope do so with form and grace. Truvy Jones, as played by Lydia West, is the de facto leader of the women. Her salon serves as a forum for discussion, argument, and warmth. West plays the role brilliantly, the perfect Southern hostess, ready to offer anyone a glass of sweet tea and call them “Honey” at a second’s notice. Truvy’s new employee, Annelle Dupuy-Desoto (Brittany Erica), starts a sweet, somewhat skittish young woman, who blossoms into a strong, independent Christian woman through her relationship with the women of the salon. Erica’s performance radiates beauty, and shows incredible growth as Annelle grows from hardly speaking in the first scene to tossing a few sarcastic, loving jibes like the rest of the crew. West and Erica mirror each other perfectly, showing the benefits of experience, while immortalizing youth.
At the helm of the sweet sarcasm of the show are Clairee Belcher (Gail Shapira) and Ouiser Bourdeaux (Beverly Serio Edwards). Their constant taunting of each other gives many of the show’s constantly quotable lines, feeling like a southern inspirational quotebook come to hilarious life. As the widow of the former town mayor, Shapira’s Clairee doesn’t have much to say early on, but each line comes with comical punch, ensuring the audience that less really is more. Clairee’s comedic nemesis is Ouiser Bourdeaux, the grouchy, cynical curmudgeon of the neighborhood. Edwards’ constant glare and stone-faced punchlines rival that of Bea Arthur’s Dorothy of “Golden Girls” fame. Her sarcasm rings through in lines like “She was so dumb, she thought Sherlock Holmes was a housing division.” Shapira and Edwards masterfully guide the characters through their relationship, turning hurtful arguing into heartfelt joshing as the women realize that they truly do complete each other.
Harling’s personal tragedy shows through his sassy bride-to-be Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie (Emily Machovec) and her caring, yet somewhat overprotective mother M’Lynn Eatenton (Dawn Sinclair). Premature at birth, Shelby lives with Type 1 Diabetes, a condition little known or understood in the 1980’s, when the show is set. Machovec plays the role with charm, creating in Shelby a compelling, autonomous women who won’t be held back by her disease. A veteran in the role, she commands the scene, instituting an instantaneous mood change when Shelby suffers a diabetic shock in the middle of an argument between the other women, pulling them all to her side as she struggles to live with her condition. Sinclair’s M’Lynn brings the most heart to the show, bringing new light to their mother-daughter relationship. She urges Shelby to follow doctors’ advice, though Shelby ignores, because she wants a child. Sinclair shines as M’Lynn’s dedication and concern for her daughter’s health deepens. During her climactic speeches in Scene 4, Sinclair makes the audience see every second of M’Lynn’s struggle to keep her daughter safe. It was clear that the actors’ tears were real, as were those of the audience. We you, we really like you (Wait, wrong movie…)!
An emotional tour de force, Harling’s “Steel Magnolias” as Artistic Synergy of Baltimore is not one to miss. You’ll laugh until you cry, then you’ll cry even more. As Truvy says, “Don’t be silly. Laughter through tears is one of my favorite emotions.”
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
Steel Magnolias plays through March 17th 2024 with Artistic Synergy of Baltimore at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church— 8212 Philadelphia Road in Rosedale, MD. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.
