Women find strength in each other in Harling鈥檚 ‘Steel Magnolias’
Courtesy of Jessica Zack
Gena David of Latrobe (Truvy) and Amber Yezek of Mount Pleasant (Annelle) rehearse a scene from 鈥淪teel Magnolias鈥� at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale.
Courtesy of Jessica Zack
Robyn Brady of Connellsville (M鈥橪ynn) and Becca Radeshak of Trafford (Shelby) are part of the cast of 鈥淪teel Magnolias鈥� at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale.
Courtesy of Jessica Zack
Jeanie Cygrymus of Peters Township (Clairee) and Dolores Love of Ohiopyle (Ouiser) rehearse a scene from 鈥淪teel Magnolias鈥� at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale.
Playwright Robert Harling was no stranger to the ties that bind.
鈥淗e wrote 鈥楽teel Magnolias鈥� in just 10 days and based it on his own family, remembering how his mother handled magnolias delicately because they bruised easily. Then, to signify the strength that the women possessed, he added 鈥楽teel鈥� to the title,鈥� said Robyn Brady, who plays the role of M鈥橪ynn in the play today through Sunday at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale.
Director Jessica Zack said the popular show is part comedy, part drama.
鈥淚t takes place in the 鈥�80s in a hair salon and follows the lives of six women who live in Northwest Louisiana, Chinquapin Parish. This slice of life continues through two or three years, with weddings, pregnancies and other life events,鈥� said Zack, adding that the character of Shelby struggles with diabetes, as did Harling鈥檚 sister. 鈥淗e did a really good job of capturing how real the people are,鈥� she said.
Both Zack鈥檚 and Brady鈥檚 love of theater began at an early age. Zack said that she was intrigued after seeing a play at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown at the age of 6, after which she began acting in school plays and taking dance classes, before continuing on to college where she studied theater at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington.
鈥淚 thought it was the coolest thing,鈥� said Zack.
Brady tells a similar story of exposure and enchantment: 鈥淚 started when I was age 7 doing community theater and immediately fell in love, which led me to continue acting through high school,鈥� she said. She then went on to earn her bachelor鈥檚 degree in theater and speech and her master鈥檚 degree in theatre acting.
This isn鈥檛 Brady鈥檚 first experience acting in 鈥淪teel Magnolias.鈥�
鈥淚 played Annelle 30 years ago, so this is a part that I鈥檝e known that I wanted to play for a while,鈥� she said, adding that she is touched by the mother/daughter relationship which unfolds to reveal love, bonds, secrets and struggles for power as the daughter approaches womanhood.
Brady said that many of the mothers and daughters in the audience will relate to the emotion portrayed as the mother relinquishes some of her power to allow her daughter to live her own life. She said that the play differs from the movie in that the entire show takes place in the hair salon, and there are no men involved.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just women gaining strength from each other and the salon is their safe place away from the world, where there鈥檚 humor, strength, lots of laughs and some tears,鈥� she said.
Zack, who also acts, said it鈥檚 been a pleasure to focus her attention on directing. 鈥淚 love being able to tell someone else鈥檚 story and step into a character, even if I鈥檓 in the background and bringing those stories to life,鈥� she said, adding that it鈥檚 more challenging and therefore more exciting to her at this stage in her life.
Zack said that she selected a top-notch cast and found it difficult to chose six actors from among the 26 who showed up to audition. After she settled on the six, Zack took a hands-off approach.
鈥淚 allow them to let their instincts speak for themselves and I鈥檓 more hands-on with the set, the costumes and the color schemes, while I trust the actors to let what comes naturally to play out,鈥� she said.
As for the actors, Zack said that they are always a committed group, willing to spend quite a bit of time away from home as they perfect their craft.
One thing Zack is thankful for is that people are returning to enjoy plays again.
鈥淲e were shut down a year and three months and attendance was down even before COVID-19, but after a few shows, it picked back up and now we鈥檙e back to normal,鈥� she said, adding that she鈥檚 also glad to get the salon chair out of garage.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been in there for two years,鈥� she said, with a chuckle.
鈥淪teel Magnolias鈥� will be at the Geyer Performing Arts Center from Thursday, Sept. 14 through Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, and are available at the door or through geyerpac.com.