Everyone seems to know the story of Steel Magnolias, perhaps from its original off-Broadway production; its Broadway revival with Marsha Mason, Delta Burke and Frances Sternhagen; its all-African American television version with Phylicia Rashad, Alfre Woodard and Queen Latifah; or, most famously, its all-star movie starring Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and a very young Julia Roberts (in an Academy Award-nominated performance). American writer Robert Harling crafted this comedy-drama about the bond among a group of Southern women in northwest Louisiana.

The title suggests the “female characters are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel.” The play by Harling, a lawyer by profession, was a therapeutic way for him to cope with a very personal family experience. Above all, this story is about this group of women’s underlying friendship, the support they provide to each other throughout, and how the characters use humor and lighthearted conversations to cope with the seriousness of their underlying situations.

For those unacquainted with this touching, heartrending piece of theater, there will be no spoilers here. You’ll have to find out for yourself at the Sharon Playhouse from August 30 – September 8, 2024.

Sharon Playhouse
49 Amenia Road
Sharon, CT, 06069