By Alexis Carr, Staff writer
Steel Magnolias, the play, is a dramatic comedy written by Robert Harling that premiered on stage in 1987 and came to life last month on stage at Indian Trail High School and Academy in a 90-minute production.
The story takes place in the small-town Chinquapin, La., in the 1980s. The story begins with Truvy Jones, who runs a successful beauty salon where all the women of the neighborhood meet up for their routine appointments. Joining Truvy is her new, anxious and eager assistant, Annelle Dupuy Desoto. Together they both style the women’s hair and talk about recent events that go on within their personal lives and the town. This story is about the bond between a group of women with different char- acteristics that come together over time and tragedy.
The sets for this production were accurately and perfectly arranged, and the clothing design was on point. Each resembled and gave off the ‘80s feel.
Another detail to mention was the actresses spot-on accents that re ected Southern women. Each char- acter was well displayed and the emotions were ex- pressed realistically. The characters in this play are without a doubt, unforgettable and unique. Howev- er, some of the actresses made a few slip-ups within their performance. They would start off with one line, pause, then continue with the correct one. This unfortunately did not go unnoticed but nonetheless didn’t ruin the performance. The actresses were able to quickly pick up their lines and continue on with the show.
Finally, the set changes were brief and productive, but had little variety. But given the limitations of a high school production, each was very well displayed.
Overall, this is a heartfelt play containing memorable moments and characters. The sets, characters, clothing design, and accents were properly and accurately displayed. Although Indian Trail’s production had a few drawbacks, it still was a highly enter- taining production.
If you enjoy dramatic comedies with a good amount of dialogue and action, this play is the one for you. This play receives 4 out of 5 stars.