The cast of ‘Steel Magnolias’ Back Row: Polly Johnson (l to r), Norma Langston and Barbra Cushman. Front Row: Kristen Waarvik (l to r), Sandy Thomas and Heather Goddard. Photo/Brandie Bartelt

Silver Cliff Theater Company will be debuting their latest performance with an all female cast with the off Broadway hit ‘Steel Magnolias’ on Nov. 20-22.

Director Randy Hills and a cast of six local women have been practicing for the last two months to perform in their second play this year. The theater company had presented ‘Anne of Green Gables’ in January, marking their first performance.

Hills had first seen the play in New York City and had one day hoped to one day direct the play himself.

“This is going to be a great performance,” Hills said. “It’s going to be hilarious. The cast is totally ready to go. This will be better than our last play.”

The backdrop for the play is in 1980 in southern Louisiana, back when women had huge hair according to Hills. The play is much different from the film version. It focuses entirely on the women and their relationships.

Robert Harling, who later had written it as a screenplay for the 1989 film version that included Sally Field and Julia Roberts, wrote the play version. It remains his most famous work today according to the Wikipedia website. Harling had written the play based on his experience with the death of his sister. Friends and family had encouraged him to write about his sister’s death as a way to cope, which had later turned into a play then a film.

Norma Langston who will be portraying the ‘Old Battleaxe’ ‘Ouser’, Kristen Waarvik who will be playing the new beautician ‘Annelle’, Sandy Thomas will be providing the sarcasm as ‘Clairee’. Heather Goddard will be ‘Shelby’, the most beautiful girl in town who is to be married and suffers from a severe case of diabetes. Polly Johnson will be performing as ‘M’Lynn’ mother to Shelby. Barbra Cushman will be playing ‘Truvy’ the owner of the beauty salon, who is the peacekeeper.

There were many volunteers that had helped build and paint the set. Many donated their time and set props to make set the stage, which is all performed in Truvy’s Beauty Salon. Volunteers included; Bob Johnson, Ethan Langston, the entire cast, Roger Peterson, Tommy and Zack Stephens, Corky Fosher, Tracianne Zerbe, Denise Henry and Ellen Cunningham.

Performances will be Friday Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. with a first time dinner gala catered by Teri Goddard. They will be serving a southern meal with chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, black-eyed peas and dessert at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds beginning at 5:30 p.m. Two more performances will be held on Nov. 21 and 22 at the high school auditorium at 1:30 p.m. Gala tickets are $25, which includes center row seats and the gala meal, prime tickets are $10 and regular seat tickets are $7. Tickets can be purchased by calling (307) 349-5050 after 5 p.m.



For the complete article see the 11-18-2009 issue.

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