Accessible to everyone: Woman-led theater company performs 'Steel Magnolias'

One of Bloomington's newest theater companies is making it a little easier to see live performances. Off Night Productions — named thus because they perform Sunday through Tuesday, when larger theaters are often closed — has another niche, too. They're making it easier for females and nonbinary people to produce a contemporary play or musical.

Bickering, bonding, supporting, struggling: characters in 'Steel Magnolias'

Off Night's upcoming "Steel Magnolias" by Robert Harling fits the women-led purpose by telling the story of women bickering and bonding, supporting and struggling.

As one of the characters wrestles with a dreadful loss, her cohort comforts her as the other women remember their own life-tests.

“You have no idea how wonderful you are,” says one. “Of course we do,” says another.

One pushes, one hides her terror: All are funny

As the play opens, Annelle, a recent cosmetology grad seeks a job in Truvy's hair salon, so she is styling Truvy's hair. Truvy likes the result and hires her. The audience next meets Clairee, one of Truvy’s patrons who is dying to know who this Annelle woman is. Truvy wants more info on Annelle (read gossip), too. As many real-life hairdressers will substantiate, a salon can be a beehive of personal information.

Shelby arrives and the salon's personality starts to buzz, and laugh. One character is pushy, one pair typifies a mother-daughter combo, one has an eruptive and salon-altering secret. Another is hours from doom.

Producing a play with a menu of succulent roles for women fits Off Nights' mission and is why they chose "Steel Magnolias." The play also offers a range of ages for the actors, from a young new hairdresser to a southern U.S. curmudgeon.

Another woman performs: British singer/songwriter Joss Stone performs Aug. 7 at Brown County Music Center

Women actors: future looks good

In 2022 actors who were in the workforce numbered 33,865, and about 46% were woman, according to DataUSA looking at Census Bureau information. Most working actors of either gender were 25 to 39 years old. The anticipated decade-long expansion for acting jobs is predicted to rise by just under 3%, which is encouraging for companies such as Off Night Productions.

"I’ve learned that nothing really gets done without a really great team of people," said co-director and Off Nights founder Aubrey Seader, who for years had wanted to start a theater company.

Playwright's productions are partly biographical

Robert Harling, the playwright, is a producer and author known for, in addition to "Steel Magnolias," "The Evening Star" and "The First Wives Club." His lead characters of both his plays and screenplays are usually women.

It took Harling only 10 days to write "Steel Magnolias," and it served as a catharsis. His sister Susan had died from complications of diabetes. Harling's play, however, teems with one-liners and other humor, thanks in part to his memories of his mother's friends, who were often hilarious.

Portraying one industry; working in another

There were about 953,000 hair salons in the U.S. last year, an increase from the five-year period before, according to industry researcher company IBISWorld. It's a labor intensive business, which means it relies on plenty of workers and makes a lively setting for a play.

Although it's portraying hair dressers in a salon (a woman-led business), Off Night Productions has been trying to accommodate its cast and crew members' schedules, said co-director Cassie Hakken, noting help with childcare as an example.

"It has been an incredible experience working with mostly women," Hakken said. "When working on a new project or job, it's very rare to walk into a room with no men."

If you go

WHAT: "Steel Magnolias" by Robert Harling

WHEN: 2 p.m. Aug.11 and Aug. 18; 7 p.m. Aug.12-13 and Aug. 19-20

WHERE:John Waldron Arts Center’s Whikehart Auditorium, 122 S. Walnut St.

TICKETS: $32 (includes $2 fee), available online at buskirkchumley.org or box office at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington's woman-led theater company performs 'Steel Magnolias'