ARTS & CULTURE REVIEW
(Seguin) – When I heard Steel Magnolias was being performed at the Texas Theatre, I knew I had to see it. The show holds a special place in my heart. In college, my school’s theatre department put the play on in our tiny black box, and as a sophomore, I played the infamous Ouiser Boudreaux. It is one of my favorite memories from those days, and I haven’t seen the play or the movie since then.
The movie is an undeniable southern classic, starring a cast of famous female faces from Dolly Parton to Julia Roberts. The play, however, is a very different experience from the movie.
On opening night, I headed to the Texas, picked up my tickets from the box office, and chose my seat. While looking over the playbill, I also took in the theatre. With the curtains open, the elegant proscenium framed the carefully crafted beauty shop set highlighting the regality of the small Seguin theatre. The set was designed with southern charm in mind, painted teal with leopard print details bringing the space to life.
Soon, the lights dimmed, and the show opened with Annelle (Lauren Bouquet) interviewing for a job at Truvy’s (Johanna Bain Johnson) salon. The nearly full house was immediately smitten with Bouquet’s earnest rendition of Annelle, chuckling at her first-day nerves as the other characters made their entrances.
While the play takes place in the salon, the story surrounds a group of women and hinges around two in particular –– M’Lynn and Shelby. Portraying the mother-daughter pair are Seguin’s Mary Jane Windle and Ivy Koehler Meehan, who depicted a relationship of love, sometimes fraught with disagreement, with deft believability. Their dispute over baby’s-breath at the top of the show is particularly relatable. Then there is Clairee, portrayed by Pat Hoppe, who I have to admit gave me a little giggle fit, and last but not least, Ouiser, played by Sheila Bailey Lucas.
The crowd erupted when she entered stage right, whooping and cheering as she stormed into the scene. Her portrayal of Ouiser was deliciously deranged and, more importantly, profound, elevating the character beyond comic relief, showing a tenderness beneath all the posturing.
Also of note was Meehan’s portrayal of Shelby. She, in particular, stood out to me as bringing a modern women’s touch to a character living in the 80s. She sits in her salon chair, legs half folded, fiddling with her nails as her mother gossips with friends. Meehan’s Shelby stands out amongst her mother’s peers but does not make herself smaller in their presence. Instead, she grows into her space in the story and the stage throughout the show. As she does, she transforms and impacts the women around her.
Steel Magnolias is a play that shows the strength of women following them through times of happiness and tragedy and finally healing. It’s a timeless story, and this ensemble cast brought it to life through laughter and, yes, tears. This show is very likely to make you cry. So get some tissues, and see this talented local cast before closing on Sunday.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and again on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission or $25 for reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Gift & Gourmet, the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce, Keepers Interiors, or online at thetexas.org.
The Texas Theatre is located at 425 N. Austin St.