WEST SPRINGFIELD — “This play is perfect for us,” Sue Dziura told Majestic Theater founder Danny Eaton about “Steel Magnolias” when discussing potential plays for the current season.
The 1987 play that inspired the 1989 hit film starring Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts, among other big names, opens at The Majestic Theater on Thursday and runs through Nov 30.
“The play is a beautiful character-driven story about people who care about one another and support each other. It is about family, friends and community, all the things we are at The Majestic Theater,” said Dziura, who is the Majestic’s producing director.
Written by Robert Harling, “Steel Magnolias” blends humor with moments of emotional depth. Set in a small southern beauty salon in the fictional northwestern Louisiana parish of Chinquapin, the play showcases a group of strong-willed women who navigate life’s challenges with sharp humor and unfiltered honesty.
Harling wrote the play as a tribute to his type 1 diabetic sister, who he honors with a character in the play, Shelby, who is afflicted with the same disease.
“Our production is based on the play, not the movie, and features an all-female cast with only one set being the beauty parlor owned by Truvy Jones. The male characters, who were featured in the movie, are referred to only through dialogue as was the case in the original Broadway play,” Dziura said about directing the play.
“What I love about the play is that it is really funny, and you don’t often see an all-female cast have the opportunity to be as funny and unabashedly human on stage as this play allows,” she added.
The cast includes MaConnia Chesser as Clairee, Cate Damon as M’Lynn, Kait Rankins as Annelle, Angela Dias as Ouiser, Elaine Hom as Truvy, and Raya Malcolm as Shelby.
“Similar to Sue, our director, I knew the movie first and watched it many times with my mom. It’s a classic,” Malcolm said.
“I love Shelby, the character I’m playing. She is very strong and has a big heart and knows clearly what she wants out of life. From what I observe, Shelby does almost everything out of love in her interaction with everyone around her,” she added.
Living with type 1 diabetes, which typically affects young children throughout their lifetime, can be physically and mentally challenging, yet Shelby seems to take it in stride.
“I don’t believe Shelby is naive about her situation and the health challenges that diabetes presents for her. Despite those challenges, she attempts to live life to the fullest, and says at one point in the play, ‘I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special,’” Malcolm said.
Tickets to the show range from $35 to $38 and can be purchased in person at the box office, by calling 413-747-7797, or by going online to majestictheater.com.
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