Steel Magnolias will debut at the Richmond Community Theater on Thursday.

Director, Mark Colbenson says the cast will begin full dress rehearsal this week.

“We always wish we had another week, but we don’t,” Colbenson said with a laugh.

The play is set in Truvy’s beauty shop where the ladies of the town come to have their hair done. Truvy hires a new assistant, Annelle, who is shy and experiencing her own dilemmas. The other four characters are Ouiser, the towns curmudgeon, the well off Clairee, socialite M’Lynn and the prettiest girl in town, Shelby, who is getting ready for her wedding as the play begins. The women experience good times and bad, but support each other through it all.

“It has a fun dialogue with big laughs and some heartbreaks,” Colbenson said.

Lindsay Melton who is playing Truvy, described one of her favorite parts of the play being “the whole support that the women offer each other even though they are various age ranges.”

Melton is participating in her fifth show at the Community Theater. She describes her character Truvy as a lot of fun and very vivacious.

Melton also appreciates the many things in the play that are very southern.

“It reminds me of my mother, my grandmother and all my friends,” Melton said.

Many associate Steel Magnolias with the popular movie that was released in 1989.

“The play is more enjoyable. It is a more emotional, more intimate event,” Colbertson said. The movie involves more characters and scenes, while the play simply features the six ladies in Truvy’s beauty shop.

“I always enjoy talking to people after the play to see how they feel it compares to the movie,” Colbenson said.

Miki Deese, who is playing Ouiser, is in her first role at the Richmond Community Theater.

“It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun,” Deese said.

Deese watched the movie Steel Magnolias and fell in love with the character of Ouiser which prompted her to audition for the role.

“It is the only character I tried out for,” Deese said.

Deese has never done any acting before, but she is enjoying the opportunity to play her favorite character.

Colbertson is directing the play for the third time in his career. One of his favorite things about the play is that the characters are fun and they are all equally involved.

“Everyone is on the same level,” he said. “There are no minor parts in the play, all six of the characters play an equal role.”

“This is the first time that Mark has directed the play where he had authentic southern accents,” Melton said.

He has worked with four of the actresses before and two are new since he has been at the theater.

“They are all good actresses and have worked really hard at learning their lines and they are having fun with it,” Colbenson said.

“[Steel Magnolias]’s a classic. It will be a good show,” said Colbenson. The box office opened to the public at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. Steel Magnolias will be performed April 8-18, Thursday through Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m., Sunday shows begin at 2 p.m.

Cameron Quick can be reached at (910) 997-3311 ext. 15 or cquick@yourdailyjournal.com.