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GEORGE NEWS - With three performances left this week for the comedy-drama Steel Magnolias at the George Arts Theatre (18, 24 and 25 June at 19:00, with a matinee performance on Saturday 25 June at 13:00), lovers of the performance arts should brave the winter weather and use this opportunity to hear local actors converse in a Southern American drawl.
The play is directed by Chrisma Theron, who also plays the role of Shelby.
The rest of the cast are as follows: Ilze Tulleken as Truvy, Carina Beukes as M'Lynn, Reneé van Rensburg as Ousier, Jeanette van As as Annelle and Tasia du Toit (front) as Clairee.
First play then movie
Most of us are familiar with the movie version (1989) of the stage play, with Academy Award winner Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts in the star seats.
However, Steel Magnolias was indeed a play before it was a movie. Writer Robert Harling first wrote a stage play (1987) which premiered off-Broadway, before writing the screenplay for the 1989 film. The play made its Broadway debut in 2005.
In short, Steel Magnolias is about the bond a group of women share in a small-town Southern community, and how they cope with the death of one of their own.
The strain of pregnancy and childbirth puts one of the characters, Shelby, into kidney failure. Her mother donates a kidney, but Shelby's body unfortunately rejects the donated kidney and she dies.
Chrisma Theron as Shelby, Ilze Tulleken as Truvy and Carina Beukes as M'Lynn. Photos: Michelle Pienaar
Harling based Steel Magnolias on the life of his sister and their experience growing up in Natchitoches, Louisiana. As the title suggests, the female characters are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel.
Steel Magnolias is Lady Godiva Theatre Production's debut at the George Arts Theatre. Tickets are available at Computicket (R150 adults; R120 members; R100 learners) and at the theatre's box-office (R120 adults; R100 members; R80 learners). For enquiries contact the theatre on 044 873 3938.
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