Tony Annicone
Little Rhody Entertainment Writer
Attleboro Community
Theater's first production of their 49th season is
Robert Harling's classic comedy/drama, "Steel
Magnolias". Truvy's beauty salon is the unofficial hub
of Chinquapin Parish, LA. The ladies of the neighborhood
congregate there weekly to share each others' lives. The
play focuses on the camaraderie of six Southern women
who talk, gab, gossip, needle and harangue each other
through the best of times and cry, caress, comfort and
repair one another through the worst. They're soul mates
in a rarefied way combining laughter and pain that pulls
tears from the most cynical viewer. These women are the
steel magnolias of the title: Southern belles, flowery
on the inside, but strong enough inside to survive any
challenge thrown their way including the death of a
loved one. Director Beverly Darling chooses six strong
actresses to portray these roles especially the role of
Shelby who is the heart of this show and infuses the
character with the strength and believability necessary
for it. Beverly creates an acting ensemble of the
highest caliber to bring the audience the laughter and
tears the show deserves. Brava on a job well done.
Having seen this show
done poorly a few years back, made me hesitant to view
it again. I had seen it done and Shelby was always the
weakest character in the show. We know she is going to
die but whoever played it, broadcast it from the first
scene to her last scene, making her a weak and insipid
girl. However Beverly Darling is an excellent director
with a keen eye to character development and the
interaction between the performers must be believable,
creating a strong team spirit. She makes her actresses
the best they can be and their performances attest to
that fact. Jeanne Dearie who is a senior at Feehan High
School, plays Shelby with the spunk and strength needed.
She makes Shelby shine in all her scenes from the first
scene with her bubbly behavior in the beauty salon the
day of her nuptials and we learn she is a diabetic who
shouldn't have a child. The second scene of Act 1 shows
her telling her mother she is pregnant and the first
scene of Act 2 shows her needing a kidney
transplant. Jeanne's acting prowess comes through
whether it is a comic or a touching moment and she
delivers the goods to an appreciative crowd.
Kim Alessandro delivers a powerful
performance as the bereaved mother, M'Lynn. She shows
the love for her daughter in the emotional speech about
being there when Shelby arrived in this world and when
she left this world, making the audience choke back
their tears. Kim handles the comic side of M'Lynn with
ease, cracking jokes and one liners. The two biggest
scene stealers of this show are Connie Anderson as
Ouiser and Evie Rayburg as Clairee. Their funny banter
leaves you laughing at their antics. One of the best
lines is when Ouiser proclaims she has been in a bad
mood for 40 years. These two veteran actresses deliver
their one liners with ease and in the last scene they
deliver the goods with the needed pathos for it. Karen
Gibson with huge blonde hair does a wonderful job as
Truvy. She does the ladies hair and nails while
delivering her dialogue as the owner of the salon. Her
comments about her lazy couch potato husband are funny
and her relationships with the other performers comes
through naturally. The last member of the cast is
Melissa Stanziale who plays Annelle, the assistant hair
dresser whose hair styles change with each scene. She
starts out as a timid mouse and becomes more confident
as the show goes on. Annelle also becomes a religious
zealot who tries to convert the others with sometimes
humorous results. So for one of the best versions of
"Steel Magnolia" around, be sure to catch ACT's show
before time runs out. Tell them Tony sent you.
Kudos to the return of ACT
after a year's hiatus and this show proves they still
got what it takes to mount a topnotch show.
STEEL MAGNOLIAS (14 -30 October,
2005)
Attleboro Community Theater
Bates Masonic Lodge, 71
North Main St., Attleboro, MA
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