Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias

I was very hesitant about going to see the play Steel Magnolias. I had previously seen the film, and I did not feel the play could live up to the expectations to the movie. My ideas about the play dramatically changed after I saw the production. There were a few main points of the play that I found to be important and paid special attention to. The play itself, the set, actresses, and the reaction of the audience were the topics I felt were the most important.

First off, the overall play was well preformed. The audience seemed to understand what was taking place and connected with the actresses' emotions. The people who were involved in putting on the play did an outstanding job. The transitions from sitting down until the end of the play flowed well. Overall lighting, sound, and other factors of the play were put together well. Everything connected and helped me to better understand the message the play was portraying. Other than the overall production, another factor that I found relevant to pay particular attention to was the set.

In my opinion, I believe the set should have changed throughout the play to create a better atmosphere throughout the production. I noticed only a few things were changed in order to make a difference in that act. In order to let the audience know what season it was, things were added and taken away from the set. For example, when it was Christmas time, the set had a Christmas tree and decorations. I thought that this was an effective way to inform the audience, instead of verbally saying the season was changing. Although the set did not change, I did appreciate how well put together it was. I found it interesting that they used the audience as a mirror. As a side note, the lighting in the play set the mood for the audience and the actress well. If the lighting became darker then the audience new the play was taking a serious turn, but if the lighting became bright then the play would be funny and cheerful. Another topic of the play I chose to notice was how the actresses portrayed their characters.

I think that all the actresses did an outstanding job. I never have seen a play with an all women cast, and these actresses worked well together and made the play enjoyable to watch. There was Trudy, which was my favorite actress, as the typical redneck hair stylist. She was the character that I related to the most. She was always up to date with the latest gossip and knew everything going on in her small town. Whitney Allen did a great job playing Trudy, and had everything down from the look to the voice. Another character that I enjoyed was Clairee; she was the typical rich and nosey woman. It was evident that she did not go into the beauty shop