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  • 1.  Steel Magnolias

    Posted 04-24-2015 12:43
    I'm looking at Steel Magnolias for next spring.  Any ideas, tips, tricks, reviews, warnings, from any who have staged it?

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    Elizabeth Phillips
    teacher/director
    Memphis Community Schools
    Memphis MI
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  • 2.  RE: Steel Magnolias

    Posted 04-25-2015 07:07
    This was a great experience for 6 girls at my former tiny school. The cast was small enough to actually schedule rehearsals with most of them most of the time. Working so closely in an ensemble piece made them really close to each other as well. 

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    Nancy Huffaker
    Theatre Teacher
    Bahrain Bayan School
    Redlands CA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Steel Magnolias

    Posted 04-25-2015 11:05

    --I'd get the girls figuring out what they're doing with the hair in the scenes in the early parts of the rehearsals.  Get someone to teach the styles that they'll do early and make that a major part of rehearsals.  

    --Are you actually washing hair?  If so, you need to figure out how to do the water.

    --I'd contact the administration or counselors to discuss how to discuss current research on diabetes with the students, particularly for the diabetic students at the school.

     That's a start.  Good luck and have fun.  

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    Kimberly Taylor
    Oakland CA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Steel Magnolias

    Posted 04-25-2015 12:01
    When I did the show over 20 years ago now...sheesh!) we did arrange for a working water tap, but it took a great deal of engineering to do safely and within OSHA guidelines. Check for that in your area. Eden Prairie HS in Eden Prairie, Minnesota is just wrapping up their production of it this weekend; director Deb Karulf would be happy to let you know how it all went to help with your production. Chookas.

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    Lori Constable
    Teacher; director of Drama
    Independent District 112
    Chanhassen MN
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Steel Magnolias

    Posted 04-25-2015 17:20
    We made the hair washing station in the house and just brought them back on with their hair wrapped in a towel because we had no way to do the water on stage.  You might think about that.

    I can't remember how much of it is in the script, but my girls had coffee in pretty much every scene.  Make sure you have the cups and a pitcher/coffee pot early on - it took a lot of coordinating for them to figure out when to get up and get more coffee, where they left their cup, etc.  More work than any of us thought it would be!

    Definitely start the hair styling early.  We brought a hair dresser in and she taught them what to do, then we spent a whole rehearsal practicing.  From then on, they did all the styling during rehearsal.  Truvy and Annelle have to learn how to talk and do hair at the same time, which really only comes from a lot of practice.

    And my Truvy would hurt me if I didn't mention that the Truvy part can be hard to memorize because she asks so many random questions.  The actress in that role is very strong in memorization and she struggled.  We ended up finding memory devices to help her remember the order of the questions.  We had a lot of circular scenes in rehearsal because the questions didn't come in the right order.
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    Laura Steenson
    Theatre Director
    Reynolds High School
    Troutdale OR
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Steel Magnolias

    Posted 04-26-2015 13:32
    we did this show a few years ago. If you have a small space the play will work better. Our theater has 1200 seats, so we staged it with the audience on stage to give it a more intimate feel. The water is really easy if you have either a sink or a water line for a hose anywhere near your stage. We just staged crimes of the heart and used on stage water. It's a great addition and helps make the environment more believable. This was one of my favorite plays to work on with my students. ------------------------------ Ed Como Tempe AZ ------------------------------
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