Director’s Note
The image the phrase ‘steel magnolias’ conjures is one of strength and beauty. Like a magnolia tree itself, there’s strength in its roots and beauty in its delicate white flowers. When Robert Harling wrote the play in 1987, he gave a name to the unique capacity women have for both enduring strength and beautiful vulnerability. Almost forty years later, the term is synonymous with the women in our lives who exemplify grace and bravery in the face of life’s inevitable adversity. When we experience this play, we experience the secret to this feminine force: the fortifying bonds of female friendships. When given access to a space that no man dare enter (a beauty shop in 1980’s Louisianna), the audience gets the privilege of experiencing the humor, gossip, wisdom and authenticity that these women save only for each other. For a brief time, we get to encounter the world the way these amazing women do: with unerring wit, inspiring courage, and perfectly coiffed hair.
– Emily Rieder, Director
