Sep 9, 2015

Set in a 1980’s beauty parlor, “Steel Magnolias,” the quintessential Southern tale of fierce friendship, will run at the College of the Mainland Community Theatre Sept. 10-27.

Best friends and big hair define this classic play of love, loss and iced tea.

“It’s a crowd favorite and a Southern classic,” said technical director Curt Meyer.

Six strong, quirky women take center stage: Truvy, who runs the salon with her motto, “There’s no such thing as natural beauty,” Annelle, timid and at first afraid to touch a client’s hair, Shelby, strong-willed and about to marry her sweetheart, M’Lynn, her sweetly Southern mother, Ouisier, who’s been in a very bad mood for 40 years, and Clairee, a sarcastic spitfire who knows everyone’s business.

Director Laurel Powell, theater director at Dickinson High School, has assembled six of the finest actresses to play these women: Terri Page Hoover, Courtney Conrad-Hall, Kathy Novack, Tara Jones Wright, Deborah Hirsch and Shawna Glad.

Inspired by the death of playwright Robert Harling's diabetic sister, the play will make audiences laugh, cry and realize why the play has been enduringly popular for nearly 30 years.

The shows runs Sept. 10-27, Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

For more information or tickets, visit www.com.edu/theatre or call 409-933-8345.

Since 1972, COM Community Theatre has presented over 228 presentations including children's theater, concerts and workshops with attendance of more than a quarter of a million people. The theater has been recognized as one of America's leading community theaters, setting high production standards and developing one of this country's most innovative programs.

Beyond education, the College of the Mainland Theatre bears a three-fold commitment: to provide quality theatrical experiences for residents of the area, to offer a forum for local and regional talent by holding open auditions and to extend the reputation of College of the Mainland.