Natalia Rodriguez
Arts Editor
The University of La Verne’s theatre arts department will showcase “Steel Magnolias” by playwright Robert Harling in the Dailey Theatre. The show opens Thursday.
“Steel Magnolias,” which initially premiered at the Workshop of the Players Art Foundation Theatre in New York City in 1987, is a tragicomedy that follows six Southern women living in Louisiana who frequently gather at an in-home beauty parlor.
The play was inspired by Harling’s sister, Susan Harling-Robinson, who died of diabetic complications in 1985.
The production is being directed by senior theatre arts major Nathan Terrazas as part of his senior capstone project.
“It feels like the right project to end here at the University of La Verne,” Terrazas said. “It’s a culmination of everything that I’ve learned.”
He explained his initial idea to direct “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, but due to scheduling conflicts and the construction in the Sports Science and Athletics Pavilion, he had to go smaller. “Steel Magnolias” immediately came to mind due to his love for both the play and the 1989 film.
“I see a reflection of … all of the beautiful women in my life who have made the world around me so special and I hope the audience gets to feel some of that,” Terrazas said.
“We have enough in our media of women backstabbing each other,” Tachiana Mitchell, a California Baptist University senior who plays Truvy, said. “But this show is really about women that come together and … just being there for each other.”
None of the cast members, barring senior kinesiology major Lauren Sandoval who plays M’Lynn, attend ULV. They come from schools in Claremont, Fullerton and Riverside, which further highlights the theme of interconnectedness present in the story.
“At its core, this show is about community and about love, and for us to represent that as such a diverse group just adds so much more to its meaning, especially with everything going on,” Lily-Sophia Lozano, a Cal State Fullerton senior who plays Annelle, said.
Producing the play has been an arduous process, according to Terrazas. With the inclusion of “Romeo and Juliet,” it’s been about a year since preparations began.
Many of the props, such as the chairs and dryers, were donated from pre-existing salons. Terrazas mentioned taking on different roles outside of directing, such as producing, marketing and gathering costumes.
The actors, on the other hand, have been predominantly focusing on learning lines and understanding the essence of both their characters and the overall story.
“I was worried about memorizing so many lines, but it didn’t end up being as hard as I thought it’d be once we actually got on stage, and I could start connecting my lines to my movements,” Charlotte Walkenbach, a Claremont High School sophomore who plays Shelby, said.
“We’d go scene by scene, so we’re really trying to dissect that scene,” Cara Norton, who plays Ouiser, said. “We’re running it over and over again.”
Norton said that this show helped her get back into theatre after a six year break. Having played Annelle in a different production of “Steel Magnolias,” she was interested in exploring a different character this time around.
For Gabriella Terrazas, a Claremont High School junior who plays Clairee, this show was the opportunity to try something new. She mentioned taking inspiration from her grandmother to further dive into Clairee’s character.
“It’s really important to me to feel good about what I’m doing, and I feel good about what I’m doing when I put my heart into it,” Gabriella Terrazas said.
“When we started, it was bare-bones,” Nathan Terrazas said. “Seeing them now interact with props and with each other and live in the space—it’s really great to see this world that I’ve built with everybody involved come to life.”
The show opens on Thursday at 7 p.m. and runs with shows at the same time Friday and Saturday. The matinee performance will be Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. For ticket prices and more information, visit linktr.ee/ulvsteelmagnolias.
Natalia Rodriguez can be reached at natalia.rodriguez@laverne.edu.
Natalia Rodriguez is a senior creative writing and communications major. She is a member of ULV's The Blank Page Writer's Club and has served as a staff member for the school's literary magazine, Prism Review. She is currently arts editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
