Starting the year off strong, Tomball Stage is putting on an all-women production of the famous play, Steel Magnolias. Originally written in 1988, Paramount production company bought the rights to the play, making it into a touching film celebrating all different types of women.

Steel Magnolias is a truly southern play, set in Northwest Louisiana, more specifically the fictional town of Chinquapin Parish. Truvy, a blonde and sassy woman, is the owner of the small town’s beauty shop. Her salon is a place of hair, nails, and copious amounts of gossip for everyone around.  

The movie adaptation of Steel Magnolias is undoubtedly considered a classic. Many young girls grow up knowing, and loving, these characters. When asking a few of the cast members how they felt about the daunting task of bringing these characters to life on the stage, they all had similar feelings. 

“It is a lot of pressure to bring justice to the famous actresses in the original like Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton, but I think the familiarity of the show will really bring in a big audience for our performances,” MaryHelen Bucklin, playing the character M’lynn, said.

“It is a huge shift from our comedic shows last year like Suessical and Puffs. We have the chance to truly connect and impact the audience for this show,” Allie Postus, playing Annelle, said.

Not only is this production performed entirely by women, there are only six characters that make up the show. M’lynn, Clairee, Ousier, Shelby, Truvy, and Annelle. For all the actresses, this is a completely new experience. 

“The dynamic is completely different from other shows that I’ve been in,” Elizabeth Northway, playing Clairee, said. “The size of the cast makes rehearsals seem a lot less chaotic and stressful.”

Join the Tomball Stage for this incredible performance on Sept. 16, 17, 18, and Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale Sept. 5 at the Tomball STAGE website.