A Fresh Take: Steel Magnolias at Piedmont Players

At first, Robert Harling thought he had composed a drama based on his sister’s struggle with diabetes. But it’s comic lines such as these that have delighted audiences since 1987:

“If you can’t say anything nice about anybody, come sit by me.”

“I’m not crazy…. I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years!”

“The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.”

Steel Magnolias, set in a beauty parlor in Louisiana, is a play that excites both audience and actors alike because the characters are so real. Piedmont Players’ director Lillie Oden has challenged her experienced team of actors to take risks and offer new angles on these six lovable women, familiar to many through the two adaptations that Harling wrote for film.

Oden, a professional actress who resides in Charlotte, knows her stuff. “The core of the play,” she says, “regardless of the race of the actors, remains universal. My job as director is to find a way to tell the story authentically while respecting the nuances of race and identity.” The goal, she says, is for each character’s “humanity and individuality” to come through. Oden played Ouiser in Lee Street theatre’s 2018 production, directed by Kendra Cline.

“I trust my cast,” Oden says. Like Cline, she emphasizes “collaboration and character-driven storytelling. Each scene is a conversation, not just a set of lines. The relationships between characters are the emotional backbone of any production.” Oden has encouraged her group of talented women to dig deep to the “why” of their characters’ actions and choices. Through this approach, the authenticity shines from the inside out.

Harling was asked by a journalist a few years ago why Steel Magnolias has remained so popular. “I can’t take any real credit,” he replied. “I just wrote down what happened. It’s ultimately my sister’s story, with quintessentially Southern characters full of wit, warmth, and intelligence. I guess a tale about people overcoming adversity together with love, support, courage, and respect never gets old.”

Steel Magnolias runs from March 14-23 at Piedmont Players’ Meroney Theater in downtown Salisbury. Get your tickets at piedmontplayers.com or at 704-633-5471. Directed by Lillie Oden, Stage Managed by Ashonta Jones, and Set Designed by Dani Vanasse.

Written by Jenny Hubbard