Six local actresses are working hard to capture capture characters “as delicate as magnolias, but as tough as steel,” for the100 Mile Performing Arts Society’s performance of Steel Magnolias, set to open March 30.
Set entirely in a salon, the play centres around the story of six women who gather regularly in their local beauty parlor. Overthe space of three years, the women share in each other’s hopes, tragedies and medical battles through the lens of their ownconflicts and friendship.
“It’s a story about relationships and community, and support and friendship, and loss and grief and happiness,” says NicoleWeir, the director of the play. “Everyone will take something totally different from it.”
A hairdresser herself, Weir says the play rings true to what she experiences at the salon: “It’s the connections that you makewith people and the way you get to know them and share in their joys and their sadness.”
Weir has directed shows with the 100 Mile Players society before, however, this is her first non-musical production. Workingwith a smaller cast and with fewer technical challenges has been different, she says.
“I can focus on the emotions, instead of the dance numbers,” she says. “As well, with the smaller cast, it’s a little moreintimate. I have a little more time to focus on individuals rather than trying to coordinate 30 people.
While Weir held auditions in October, she only started physical rehearsals at the beginning of January. Before the new year, thecast held read-throughs to familiarize themselves with the script. Getting to actually work through the scenes with the casthas been exciting, Weir says.
“We’re a month in and they’ve been amazing,” she says. “Working with six women who are driven and motivated and givingtheir heart and soul is pretty incredible.”
Three cast members are new to the stage and three have been involved in 100 Mile Performing Arts Society productionsbefore. “It’s a really nice mix of some who have been with us before and some who are new to us,” says Weir. The cast iscurrently rehearsing three times a week, although Weir says that that will probably increase to almost daily before openingnight. Right now, the cast is focusing on finding the emotion in each scene and adding the right feeling to each scene.
Steel Magnolias opens on March 30. Tickets are 15$ and are currently on sale at the Donex Pharmacy and Didi’s Boutique.
