PlayMakers' Steel Magnolias Features
Some Truly Fantastic Performances

It is easy to define humor and sorrow separately. We often engage them in isolation, looking forward to an individual moment of comedy to uplift us, or back on stretch of time when hurt is all we remember. They are powerful feelings in their solitude. When combined well, they provide hope. PlayMakers Repertory Company's April 8-26 production of Steel Magnolias shows us where hope comes from, in the most heartfelt and genuine way.

PlayMakers Rep's Steel Magnolias, which is directed by Lisa Rothe, caps off the 2025-26 season for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's professional theater in residence. Written by Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias offers a slice of Southern life in the 1980s, following six women in their hair salon as they tease, berate, and support one another through whatever life throws their way. The show opens with Truvy Jones (Kathryn Hunter-Williams) training her newest employee, Annelle Dupuy-Desoto (Caroline Marques). Things quickly escalate as Truvy's longtime friends enter for their regular appointments and prepare for the wedding of their youngest friend, Shelby Eatenton (Elizabeth Dye).

PlayMakers Rep's April 8-26 presentation of Steel Magnolias stars (from left) Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Truvy Jones, Thursday Farrar
(seated) as Clairee Belcher, Caroline Marques as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, and Julia Gibson as Ouiser Boudreaux (photo by HuthPhoto)

The first act is lighthearted and sidesplitting, full of clever witticisms and teasing that only comes from friends being incredibly close with one another. The cast makes the most of this dynamic with incredible chemistry that makes every line hit that much better. Even though there are plenty of jokes and gags, the occasional drama surfaces with the marriage of Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie and her relationship with her mother, M'Lynn Eatenton (Sharon Lawrence). The comedic parts of the show are not lost in the second act, though they are interspersed with more difficult moments. The pace and tone stay fluid throughout the show, testament to top-tier writing and a cast that put on an absolute clinic for opening night.

All the cast members utterly owned their roles, working off one another to deliver some truly fantastic performances. Most notable is Sharon Lawrence as M'Lynn, and her dynamic with Elizabeth Dye as M'Lynn's daughter Shelby. Lawrence and Dye give a stunning portrayal as mother and daughter, not only delivering their care and worry for one another, but the nuances and frustrations that go along with such a deep bond. Lawrence's final monologue at the end of the show was gut-wrenching and nothing short of masterful. Vocal coach Tia James also deserves ample credit for the actresses' voices and accents, which added so much character and depth to their performances.

PlayMakers Rep's April 8-26 production of Steel Magnolias stars (from left) Elizabeth Dye as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie, Julia Gibson
as Ouiser Boudreaux, Sharon Lawrence as M'Lynn Eatenton, and Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Truvy Jones (photo by HuthPhoto)

The rest of the cast is not to be forgotten. Thursday Farrar eats up the spotlight as Clairee Belcher, the frilly mayor's wife; and her casting with Julia Gibson as the curmudgeonly Ouiser Boudreaux is perfect. Clairee and Ouiser are a hysterical pairing in the show, and Farrar and Gibson make the most of their dynamic. Both are captivating, and their antics make their solemn moments far more impactful. Kathryn Hunter-Williams keeps the audience enraptured and holds flawless command over the tone, owning the line between comedy and drama.

A true testament to this cast's ability is how well they kept the audience captivated. The shifts in tone and facial expressions, from jokes to sorrow, had people literally moving forward in their seats. PlayMakers Rep generally brings an engaged crowd, but this was truly something special. Lawrence delivered her ending monologue to stunned silence and more than a few tears.

Steel Magnolias stars Elizabeth Dye (left) as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie and Sharon Lawrence as M'Lynn Eatenton in (photo by HuthPhoto)

Costume designer Grier Coleman and wig designer Bobbie Zlotnik did amazing work in their roles, preparing some impressive hairdos, reminiscent of the time that actively took shape over the course of a scene. The costumes were designed with wonderful attention-to-detail, to the extent that M'Lynn's clothes became darker, more haggard, and made her look as if she was losing weight over the course of a tragedy in the second act.

The set was purposefully static, but that didn't stop scenic designer Narelle Sissons or lighting designer Cat Tate Starmer from putting the icing on an already amazing cake. The set was detailed and redecorated every couple scenes to show the passage of time; and the lighting and Melanie Chen Cole's sound design accentuated the best moments of the show. While static, the cast interacted with every part of the cluttered scene with excellent blocking and stage direction, creating an active and engaging scene without fail.

PlayMakers Repertory Company's current presentation of Steel Magnolias is a fantastic experience and production all around. It features a well-written and heartfelt story, brought to life by a cast and crew emanating genuine care, love, and hurt. At the heart of this experience is hope. It comes from friends and family, hurt and joy. It comes from sharing a hilarious and raw story with the people we love. PlayMakers Rep absolutely nailed it.

PlayMakers Repertory Company's April 8-26 production of Steel Magnolias stars (from left) Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Truvy Jones,
Caroline Marques as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, Sharon Lawrence as M'Lynn Eatenton, Elizabeth Dye as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie,
Julia Gibson (seated) as Ouiser Boudreaux, and Thursday Farrar as Clairee Belcher (standing) (photo by HuthPhoto)

Robert Harling's STEEL MAGNOLIAS (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 11, 12 and 15-19; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22-26), directed by Lisa Rothe and starring Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Truvy Jones, Caroline Marques as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, Thursday Farrar as Clairee Belcher, Elizabeth Dye as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie, Sharon Lawrence as M'Lynn Eatenton, Julia Gibson as Ouiser Boudreaux (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M83el1CQ-ok. FEATURETTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fam1SfvNkZc. PLAYBILL (Mobile Version): https://playmakersrep.org/playbill-for-steel-magnolias. PLAYBILL (Desktop Version): https://online.fliphtml5.com/gtelh/Steel-Magnolias-Playbill-Q6lO/. PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://www.tiktok.com/@playmakersrep, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, https://x.com/playmakersrep, and https://www.youtube.com/@PlayMakersRepertory. 2025-26 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2025-2026/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre and https://unchistory.web.unc.edu/building-narratives/paul-green-theatre/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1987 Off-Broadway, 1989 West End, and 2005 Broadway Comedy/Drama): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/10643/steel-magnolias, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/steel-magnolias-386797, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Magnolias_(play). THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. STUDY GUIDES: https://www.bard.org/study-guides/steel-magnolias-study-guide/ (Utah Shakespeare Festival of Cedar City, UT) and https://newstagetheatre.com/manage/wp-content/uploads/Steel-Magnolias-sg.pdf (New Stage Theatre of Jackson, MS). BACKGROUND: https://gardenandgun.com/feature/thirty-years-of-steel-magnolias/. ROBERT HARLING (Dothan, AL-born playwright and screenwriter, nee Robert M. Harling III): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/100269/robert-harling, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363326/, https://www.spectra.theater/explore/artist/e53d5210-0797-47ff-b7cd-3a21f9ad2ab2, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/robert-harling-392114, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Harling_(writer). SHOW ADVISORY: PlayMakers Rep cautions, "Steel Magnolias contains mild language and mature themes, including the death of a character. Non-threatening gunfire sound effects are used, and a prop gun is shown briefly on stage." See the CONTENT TRANSPARENCY (SPOILERS AHEAD) section for more information. RELATED EVENTS: For details, click here and scroll down to the Special Performances section. NOTE: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22nd, performance. TICKETS: $20 and up, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company.

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