Review: These magnolias are no shrinking violets

"Steel Magnolias" is full of characters ... "outrageous, bizarre characters," in the words of Joseph V. Wilson, director of the current theatrical offering by the Conway Community Arts Association's Spotlight Theater. And each reaches out to the audience, and to each other, making the play a hit with all concerned.

"Steel Magnolias" opened last weekend and continues at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday at 1404 Caldwell St. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased in advance by calling Carole Evans at American Management Corp., 450-6850.

Everyone knows the story, made popular several years ago when it hit the movie theaters starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton and Shirley McClain. The plot revolves around a group of women who frequent Truvy's Beauty Shop, sharing their good times as well as their heartaches with each other. The only hitch in this small-town, everyday scenario is that one of the heroines dies in the end.

Truvy is played by Lynn Keith, who might have been a "beauty school dropout" in another life. A collector of "old stuff," many of the props seen on stage belong to Keith, including some of the hair salon items. She even seems to enjoy "doing hair," which is a large part of the action. Keith describes her character "as the glue that holds the group together."

Truvy, as do all the characters, has a lot of great lines, funny in most instances, heartwarming in others. Clad in a bright-pink shirt and jeans, high heels and flashy jewelry, Keith introduces the audience to each character as she introduces them to her new assistant, the getting-on-your-last-nerve nervous Annelle, played by Amy Elrod. Annelle has just come to town and needs a job. Although Annelle is evasive about her past, Truvy gives her a job.

It's that mystery that intrigues Truvy about Annelle, she tells her friend Clariee, the next character the audience meets. Clariee, played by the unflappable Claudia Davis, is the richest woman in town, the widow of its former mayor. Some of her lines are very funny, made more so by her deadpan delivery.

After a little chitchat -- and that is really the only complaint about this production: There is a little too much chitchat making the play a tad too long -- in walks the star of the day, Shelby Eatenton, soon-to-be Latcherie, as this is her wedding day. Portrayed by Tara Story, Shelby is in the beauty shop to get her hair done for her wedding. She knows what she wants, but her mother, M'Lynn Eatenton, played by Kay Marshall, who enters the stage next, thinks she knows better.

It's that mother-daughter banter that takes up a good part of the action, and in fact, it's those two characters that steal the show on this particular night. The first glimpse the audience has of their relationship occurs right before the close of the first scene, when Shelby has a diabetic attack, played very realistically by Story. It's then that the audience learns Shelby's doctor has warned her not to have children, and the die is cast for the outcome of the play.

The last character the audience meets is that of Ouiser Boudreaux, the Eatentons' crusty old neighbor and the town's most eccentric character who actually has a heart of gold. Played by Lillian Petrucelli, Ouiser has her share of funny lines, but it's often her facial expressions and her body language that elicit a reaction from the audience. Ouiser swears she's not crazy, "I've just been in a very bad mood for 40 years."

The play moves from this introductory scene in the spring to December, when Shelby announces she is pregnant. Again there is drama between the daughter, who wants one thing, and the mother, who wants another. "I'd rather have three months of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special," Shelby tells her mother, who understandably is concerned about her daughter's health.

Shelby goes on to have the baby, but in the end, the risks of pregnancy lead to her death.

Meeting for the last scene in the beauty shop, the friends come together following Shelby's death to draw strength from each other to get them through this bad time. They wonder how M'Lynn is doing, and in answer, she enters the beauty shop. She seems cool and collected at first, but finally gives in to her emotions, telling them she wishes she had someone, something to hit. Clairee, in her low-key manner, pushes Ouiser in front of M'Lynn. "Here, hit her, hit her," she yells. The audience -- and the cast -- goes from tears to laughter once again. "It was getting a little too serious," Clariee quips.

The characters in "Steel Magnolias" are all strong-willed women, each played by strong actors, and all capable of being the star of the show on any given night, according to the director. But it's the six of them together that makes the play work.

Wilson believes the CCAA can become "the best community theater group in Arkansas, but we need the community's support." Show your support this weekend; go see "Steel Magnolias." Then next week, join the Conway Community Arts Association. For more information on the CCAA, call Lynn Keith, president, at 450-6110, or visit the Web site www.conwayarts.org.