THE MAGNOLIAS MAY BE STEELY,
BUT THEY STILL SMELL PRETTY SWEET

For over 80 years, Lamplighters Community Theatre has been providing an important role in San Diego’s theatre scene: creating a space for non-professional actors to come together to do quality work at affordable ticket prices. Part of their sweet spot is their knack for picking great scripts that the cutting-edge theatres haven’t visited in a long time. Such is the case with the terrific story and word play in Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling.

Unlike the popular 1989 movie version, which could bounce from location to location, the 1987 play is set in Truvy’s (Januari Simpson) beauty salon in small-town Louisiana, where a group of women regularly gather to share gossip, laughter, and life’s challenges. Truvy, the warm and lively owner, has just hired a new assistant, the shy and awkward Annelle (Aarin Wilson), who dodges questions about her personal life, making her quickly become a topic of curiosity. Clairee (Linda Benning), the sharp-tongued, widowed former mayor’s wife, arrives for her hair appointment, bantering and taking clever pot-shots at the others, especially Ouiser (Liza Wismar), the town’s notoriously grumpy but cautiously tender-hearted eccentric.

A nearby neighbor of the salon, the strong-willed M’Lynn (Shelley Benoit) brings in her spirited daughter Shelby (Abbie Black) for her wedding day styling. Shelby, who suffers from diabetes, experiences a health scare during her appointment, worrying M’Lynn and revealing the depth of their close, sometimes complicated relationship. Small towns being what they are, everyone is in everyone else’s business and none of the ladies holds back on her opinion. As the women prepare Shelby for her big day, they exchange stories, tease one another, and reveal pieces of their personal lives.

Harling’s wit is the strongest key to this show’s success, with many quotable lines which drew laughs time and again throughout. Wilson, as the timid Annelle, summons boldness within her meekness to declare, almost like Scarlett O’Hara, “I will not allow my personal tragedy to interfere with my ability to do good hair!” Truvy, reacting to crows feet mourns, “Time marches on… and soon you realize it’s marching across your face.” The best barbs, though, are between the Clairee and Ousier and I shall not spoil them for you. Benning does a fine job milking each of them and Wismar’s deadpan delivery a la Marjorie Main’s Ma Kettle, makes the most of her retorts.

The movie’s multiple locations and addition of male characters allow for some great moments (especially a classic moment of Shirley MacLaine in a hospital scene) that are just implied in the play, but there is a trade off in doing that. This women-only play really brings home the significance of the salon—a place where the women can let down their guard and truly be more open than in the outer world. The title pays tribute to how tough women need to be to be as tender as the world expects them to act.

Paul Ericson and Dave Gallagher’s great set and Pamela Stompoly’s costuming takes us back to the texting- and email-free 1980s, where the telephone served its purpose, but in-person camaraderie and coming together in sacred spaces like the salon held special meaning.

Kara Tuckfield’s direction both keeps the pace moving well and allows her to bring out tender moments when she slows things down, especially when Benoit—who is strapped by the script to being a little stoic—is given the chance to really let go, and does so effectively. In places, the performances still felt a tad recited; another week on its feet will likely take this show to the next level. Knowing it’s a community theater production, though, this critic found the experience very entertaining and well worth the trip over to Lamplighters.

photos by Daren Scott

Steel Magnolias
Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5915 Severin Drive
Fri at 7:30; Sat at 2 (July 19 & Aug 2); Sat at 7:30 (July 12 & 26); Sun at 2
ends on Aug 3, 2025
for tickets, call 619.303.5092​ or visit Lamplighters