'Steel Magnolias' by Goshen Players - My Review

Steel Magnolias is a play written by Robert Harling that centers on the lives and relationships of six strong female characters. All of the action takes place in Truvy’s Hair Salon and the ensemble cast of six actresses at the Old Town Hall in Goshen are a strong bunch.

Ingrid Smith of Torrington plays the wise and caring salon owner Truvy Jones. Jennifer Archer of Torrington makes her Goshen Players debut in her dream role of young nurse Shelby and Lynne Wilson of Litchfield plays her devoted mother M’Lynn. Eileen Epperson of Salisbury is the prickly Ouiser and the familiar face of Torrington resident Lydia Babbitt is the smart-mouthed Clairee. Ms. Babbit currently serves on the Goshen Players Board of Directors. Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, the chameleon of the play, is played by Goshen resident Devon Richtmeyer. Ms. Richtmeyer’s portrayal of the ever-evolving Annelle is a joy to watch.

Director Michael Bolinski of Waterbury, who holds a Masters of Theater Directing from the University of Memphis, writes a very cerebral note in the program in which he pays homage to the steel magnolia in the title. He has clearly directed the play thoughtfully and I liked the carefully chosen music between the acts. Michael C. Accuosti served as producer. He gave me a great recommendation for where I should sit, and I ended up sharing a cabaret style table with a very nice group of theater lovers.

Also thoughtful is the set design of Judy Tringali of Litchfield. She has created a feminine stage that features all of the needs of the working hair salon in which all of the action takes place. There is a real deep sink for shampoos, old fashioned salon hair dryers, tons of props and authentic beauty shop chairs. As indicated in the show’s press release, “her experience as a hairdresser is crucial as no fewer than 14 different hair styles appear in the production, many of which must be executed on stage by cast members.” The cast members “did hair” like pros and the wigs/hair styles by Ms. Tringali assisted by Sally Richtmeyer were impressive.

Steel Magnolias continues Oct. 18th, 24th and 25th at 8:00 pm and on October 19th at 4:00 pm. All tickets are reserved and cost $22, with a portion of the proceeds of the show donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. There was also a ticket stub raffle for a gift certificate to a local salon. Tickets can be purchased at www.goshenplayers.org or by calling the Box Office at 860.491.9988 and leaving a message for call back. Early reservations are recommended as Cabaret Seating is limited.

Next up for the Goshen Players is a staged reading of Twelve Angry Jurors on Nov. 21 and 22 at 8:00pm followed by Two by Two The Musical April 10 through 25, 2015.

Pictured: (from left) Ingrid M. Smith as Truvy, Jennifer Archer as Shelby, Lydia D. Babbitt as Clairee and Lynne Wilson as M’Lynn Photo Credit: Heather Boscarino