People’s Light presents Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias

Set in a small-town Louisiana beauty salon owned by Truvy (Teri Lamm), a male-free zone where the women gather to primp and chat, Steel Magnolias is a confection of tragedy wrapped in a river of repartee. Most of the drama happens offstage, and the women’s stories move the plot along. Almost every line is funny with a twist, as if Oscar Wilde had written dialogue for ladies who shop at the Piggly Wiggly and whose menfolk are named “Drum” and “Poot.” If a couple of lines were fumbled during a performance running more than two hours, it felt like a touch of realism amid the perfection of the witticisms. Nobody really talks like that.

Sharing the spotlight

Adams and most of the cast have worked together for years, and the actors share the spotlight with generosity. Janis Dardaris, Lamm, and Marcia Saunders are outstanding as the elders whose lifelong friendships created the salon circle. Brynn Gauthier makes a strong debut with People’s Light as Annelle, a young hair stylist who is new in town. When we meet her, she’s scared and alone. By the play’s end, Annelle is part of the community, bantering with the best of them.

Shelby, played by a luminous Claire Inie-Richards, is a role that’s especially difficult to keep from veering into too-sweet territory, and there is a laughing exit that feels a little silly. However, Inie-Richards’s portrayal of suffering an episode of severe low blood sugar is flawless. Susan McKey, as Shelby’s mother M’Lynn, seems resigned to a thankless role as the voice of reason in the first act. This initial calm augments the impact of her outburst of grief and anger in the final scene. It’s a powerful and heartbreaking monologue, beautifully rendered by McKey.

Authentic and nostalgic

The play’s two acts take place over a two-year period, never leaving Truvy’s garage-hair salon. If it sounds a little claustrophobic, it is not. Two salon chairs face the audience, essentially making us the women’s mirrors. The set is glorious. From the flooring to the furniture to the wood-paneled walls, scenic designer Daniel Zimmerman and props manager J Bean Schwab celebrate the 1980s fondly, never satirically, in keeping with the play’s tone. The homemade Christmas decorations are a delight, as are posters of models with big ’80s hair and a rackful of vintage magazines. Costume designer Tracy Christensen bedecks the characters with distinct and fun clothes, and the sound (Carsen Joenk) and lighting (Dennis Parichy) feel authentic, maybe a little nostalgic, rather than over-the-top.

Even for folks familiar with the plot, Steel Magnolias at People’s Light feels funny, loving, and fresh.