Riverwalk’s ‘Steel Magnolias’ provides laughs, tears

Entering Riverwalk Theatre’s Black Box auditorium for “Steel Magnolias” Friday night (April 14), a sense of nostalgia for the 1989 film was immediately present with set designer Aja Jenks’ charming take on a small-town home salon.

While anyone who has seen the film, featuring the powerhouse cast of Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts and other Hollywood greats, is already aware of the tragic ending, the journey to get there is charming, if occasionally uneven.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it’s deceivingly simple on its surface. It’s a peek into an all-woman world where gossip, shared insights, pains, hopes and dreams are unveiled with rollicking humor. The story centers around Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie (played by Taylor Haslett) and her nuptials, pregnancy and battle against diabetes.

Eatenton-Latcherie serves as the emotional core of the story, anchoring the life-and-death journey for the rest of the characters. Haslett’s performance is charming, reeling the audience in with a simplistic, nearly naive character. If her husband, Jack Latcherie, had made an appearance, subtle implications, like that Jack may have coerced her into having a child against medical advice, might have been a bit clearer, but Haslett is able to portray her discomfort without stating it directly.

As Eatenton-Latcherie’s mother, M’Lynn Eatenton, Gini Larson’s performance is distant, placing a wall between her and the audience. This distance damages the ultimate impact of the show, and second-night line stumbles didn’t help.

With flamboyance, gossip and hair for days, Laura J. Croff delivers an outstanding, if overblown, Truvy Jones. Her energy is simply unmatched by her scene partners, leaving her out in the cold as a cartoon.

Meanwhile, Gloria Vivalda as Clairee Belcher, the recently widowed political socialite of the small town, struggles to provide a consistent Southern accent or emotional anchor in the show. But when she’s in a scene, she’s on, and her snide remarks and observations are delightful.

Caila Conklin is outstanding as the audience’s eyes into this sacred space of women. Her performance as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto is charming, innocent, fun and anchored in reality, giving the audience a necessary peek into the women’s lives without judgment or full understanding.

Perhaps the most nuanced performer in the show is Amy Rickett. She plays Ouiser Boudreaux — a role made famous by Olympia Dukakis — with a down-to-earth realism that makes her outlandish character shine as the ‘80s “Karen.” Her performance is delivered with loving, gentle care, and she’s an absolute joy to watch.

Jenks' set is an example of perfect utility. It’s functional and colorful, bringing the entire show together. But the performance is hampered by scene changes, allowing the emotional energy of the scenes to dissipate as the stage crew carefully and slowly sets up for the next scene in a twilight glow.

This is not the iconic movie, and it shouldn’t be. While there are some stumbles, the show is worth the time. Particularly as audience members, packed side by side in the intimate Black Box, have the opportunity to share in the women’s triumphs and tribulations through the eyes of young people who may be unfamiliar with the film.