Overview
Synopsis
Truvy Jones runs a successful beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies in the neighborhood have a standing Saturday appointment. Along with her anxious and eager assistant, Annelle, Truvy styles the hair of many of the women about town: wealthy widow and former first lady of Chinquapin, Clairee Belcher, local curmudgeon Ouiser Boudreaux ("I'm not crazy, I've just been in a bad mood for forty years”), intelligent and compassionate career woman M’Lynn, and her daughter Shelby, the prettiest girl in town. Shelby’s engagement is the talk of the town, but the joy and excitement of her wedding quickly turn to concern as she faces a risky pregnancy and a myriad of health complications. Eventually, when Shelby dies from complications related to her diabetes, M’Lynn has to deal with the most difficult of life’s challenges: the loss of one’s only child. As the women of Chinquapin makes their ways over life’s many hurdles together, they find comfort (and a fair amount of verbal ribbing) in one another. “You have no idea how wonderful you are,” M’Lynn tells the ladies at the end of the play. Truvy responds, with a smile, “Of course we do.”
Show Information
- Book
- Robert Harling
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1987
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- chinquapin, louisiana
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- All-Female Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Small Cast
Context
Based on his own experience growing up in rural Natchitoches, Louisiana, Robert Harling’s landmark play Steel Magnolias explores the bonds between six women at a beauty salon. Harling based his play on the death of his sister, Susan, from complications related to diabetes. Combining light-hearted comedy and quirky characters with a serious, heart-rending storyline, Steel Magnolias has appealed to audiences both onstage and in its popular 1989 film adaptation. It has been translated into
to read the context for Steel Magnolias and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One, Scene One
Steel Magnolias opens on a Saturday morning in April in Truvy’s beauty shop. Annelle, who’s new in town, is completing a ‘do for Truvy, who, desperate for help and willing to overlook Annelle’s nervousness, hires her on the spot. Saturdays are reserved for the ladies of the neighborhood at Truvy’s, and as the two women begin to set up the salon for the clientele, Truvy explains her beauty philosophy to Annelle: “There’s no such thing as natural beauty.” A few loud
to read the plot for Steel Magnolias and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
The circumstances that form the setting for a play, and the world in which it can be fully understood.
A chronic health condition that affects how the body processes sugar into energy. Untreated, diabetes is debilitating and can be deadly.
A particular form of a language which is associated with a specific region or social group.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Quote Analysis
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Guide Written By:
