Robert Harling's "Steel Magnolias"

“There is no such thing as Natural Beauty,” is one of the first things you hear as you enter Truvy Jones’ hair salon, and this is easy to believe with all the hairspray and volumized hair in Dinah Watt’s production of Steel Magnolias. As the audience ventures into the realm of teasing and curling within the shades of blush and bashful, the lives of six unique women show how the strength of sisterhood can make anyone smile, even in the difficult times in life. Steel Magnolias is a play of strength, vulnerability, and most prominently, laughter, and the cast makes sure that these values are shown.

There is a family-like bond that the audience can sense from this group of women. Much of this can be attributed to the actresses’ execution of their respective characters. The six personalities on stage contrast one another, but a fair amount of sass and spurs of comedic timing produce a plethora of female chemistry. One of the most notable characters is Megan Moorhouse’s Clariee, a go-with-the-flow type of woman who hits a comedic note whenever she opens her mouth. Although she does not add any valuable advice to her fellow ladies, her sharp tongue brings laughter out of any situation that occurs at the salon.

In the midst of silliness, the production gives a convincing Mother-Daughter relationship with Kelsea Meredith’s performance as the young hopeful Shelby and Norah Cuzzocrea’s natural maternal delivery of M’Lynn. Whatever tone of scene the duo sets- from the moments where the two exchange passive-aggressive pokes at one another in public, to the raw and heartfelt private encounters- the result of these moments gives a glimpse of womanhood that may hit close to home.

Dinah Watt's Production of "Steel Magnolias" will be sure to make the audience laugh. The snappy dialogue given by the ladies will make womanhood exciting for any gender, while family bond that the women shared to the audience can be endearing for any heart. The stylish and confident Truvy Jones once said, "There is no such thing as natural beauty." One can believe that this motto is true; however, there are six reasons that beg to differ.

Rating: 8.5/10

Steel Magnolias will be playing at the Palace Theatre from October 8th-18th. For ticket information, please check here.