Soulstice Theatre Presents ‘Steel Magnolias’

Soulstice Theatre brings some Southern flavor to the stage this week with an intimateproduction of Robert Harling’s classic 1987 stage drama, Steel Magnolias. Soulstice’s fourth-floor studio theater on Milwaukee’s South Sidewill serve as a small-town hair salonthe backdrop for a casual, down-to-earthdrama. With its bittersweet mix of wit and passion, a production of Steel Magnolias is only as good as itsensemble. Fortunately, Soulstice Managing Director Jeffrey Berens has assembleda solid cast. Representing a wide range of talent, the six women in this casthave appeared on nearly every stage in Milwaukee.There’s an opportunity here for a really interesting cross-generational stagedynamic. It should be lots of fun to watch.

The ever-sweet KellySimon, who has made a strong impression in recent Soulstice productions, formsthe emotional center of the play as Shelby, a pregnant woman with Type 1diabetes who struggles with the idea that her baby could end up with the samecondition. No stranger to Soulstice herself, Katie Lyn Hardt plays the witty,outspoken Truvy Jones, owner of the aforementioned salon, which is based out ofher home. Joining Soulstice for the first time, Sandra Stark plays the gossipyClairee Belcher. A perfect choice for the production, Stark has a great deal ofexperience on intimate stages. Sally Marks, who has appeared with MilwaukeeChamber, Sunset Playhouse and several other companies over the years, playsClairee’s unlikely friend Ouiser Boudreaux, the small Southern town’s wealthycurmudgeon. Soulstice board member Margaret Casey plays town social leaderM’Lynn Eatenton, and Allison Roth rounds out the cast as the na%uFFFDve new girl,Annelle Dupuy Desoto.

Soulstice Theatre’sproduction of Steel Magnolias runsApril 9-24 at the Marian Center for Nonprofits. Aportion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Southeastern WisconsinChapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.