NOTE: Audition scheduling will begin in mid-December. You are welcome to submit the form now, and the production team will contact you in mid-December to arrange your audition appointment.
Steel Magnolias
Written by Robert Harling
Directed by Amber Layne
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Audition Dates​​
In Person auditions will be held at
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Katonah SPACE
44 Edgemont Road
Katonah, NY 10536
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Thursday, January 15th (6:30PM - 9PM)
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Friday, January 16th (6:30PM - 9PM)
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Saturday, January 17th (12:00PM - 2:30PM)
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Walk-ins are welcome, or you can make an appointment by emailing PhoenixTheatreArtsCo@gmail.com.
Video auditions will be also accepted via email at PhoenixTheatreArtsCo@gmail.com until Saturday, January 17th at 11:00 AM.
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If needed, callbacks will be held by invitation only on Sunday, January 18th from 2PM - 6PM.
Performance Dates​
Friday May 1 at 7:30 PM
Saturday May 2 at 2:00 PM
Sunday May 3 at 2:00 PM
Friday May 8 at 7:30 PM
Saturday May 9 at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
​​Audition Prep
Auditioners should prepare a 1-2 minute monologue suiting the tone of the show. Your monologue can be from any contemporary piece. Selected monologues from Steel Magnolias can be viewed here (use the tabs at the left to navigate between characters). Bring your best Southern Louisiana accent!
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Whether you've memorized your monologue or prefer to read it from the page, either is perfectly fine! ​​​
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You may be asked to read sides with other actors at auditions. Sides can be viewed here: Truvy & Annelle | M'Lynn & Shelby | ​Clairee & Ouiser
Summary:
Set in a small-town beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, Steel Magnolias is a poignant and sharply funny portrait of Southern womanhood. Over the course of three years, six women gather regularly at Truvy’s salon to share gossip, swap recipes, tease each other, and support one another through life’s highs and heartbreaks.
From the excitement of weddings and babies to the devastation of loss, their conversations (punctuated with wit, warmth, and honesty) reveal the deep bonds of friendship that sustain them.
At the center of the story is Shelby, a spirited young woman with a life-threatening illness, and her fiercely protective mother, M’Lynn. Around them, a vibrant ensemble of women—Truvy, the generous salon owner; Annelle, the shy newcomer; Clairee, the elegant former First Lady of the town; and Ouiser, the town curmudgeon—offer laughter, love, and occasionally hard truths.
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Written with humor and heart, Steel Magnolias is a tribute to the strength and resilience of women, reminding us that even in the face of unimaginable grief, life goes on, with laughter, lipstick, and love.
Production Vision:​
Steel Magnolias is a play about beauty, grief, grit, and grace. Set in a Southern beauty salon, an inherently feminine, communal space, it offers an intimate portrait of six women navigating the joys and heartbreaks of life together.​ In this production, we will embrace the idea that femininity is not fragile. It’s resilient.
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We will tell Steel Magnolias as a tribute to the ways women break, and carry on anyway. These characters are all balancing something: the weight of expectations, the sting of loss, the ache of loneliness, the quiet triumph of surviving. They create a world where it is safe to fall apart, and safe to begin again.​ This will be a visually soft, emotionally rich, and deeply human production.
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The pastel colors, the hair rollers, the manicures, they’re not decoration. They are rituals of care. They are how these women reclaim control, show up for each other, and find meaning.​ Steel Magnolias invites us to witness vulnerability without weakness, and strength without hardness.
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In a world that often demands women be everything to everyone, this play says: you can cry, and still be strong. You can shatter, and still be whole.​
You can break, and carry on anyway.
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Cast of Characters:
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Truvy Jones. Late 30s to Early 40s; Salon Owner
​The warm and welcoming owner of the beauty salon where the story unfolds. Truvy has a big heart, big hair, and a flair for glamour. She’s the glue of the group. She is always ready with a teasing comment, a listening ear, and a can of hairspray. Her salon isn’t just a business, it’s a sanctuary.
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Annelle Dupuy-Desoto. Early to mid 20s; Salon Assistant
​New to town and new to Truvy’s salon, Annelle begins the play as a shy, mysterious young woman with a troubled past. Over time, she transforms; she finds her faith, her voice, and her place among the other women. Annelle is earnest, awkward, and quietly searching for where she belongs. Her's is a journey of transformation.
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Clairee Belcher. 60s-70s; Widow of the former mayor
​Elegant, sharp-witted, and always ready with a biting remark, Clairee is the town’s former First Lady, widowed but not withered. She carries herself with grace and style but has a mischievous streak that keeps everyone on their toes. Clairee is the grande dame of the group, with a heart as big as her laugh.
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Ouiser Boudreaux. 60s-70s; Wealthy curmudgeon
​Blunt, eccentric, and perpetually grumpy, Ouiser (pronounced "Weezer") is a force of nature. She’s wealthy, wild, and wonderfully unpredictable. Beneath the sarcasm and sass is a fiercely loyal friend. She may bark, but she loves deeply.
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M’Lynn Eatenton. Late 40s to early 50s; Social Worker/Mental health professional
Grounded, practical, and fiercely protective, M’Lynn is the emotional heart of the story. A devoted mother to Shelby, she’s always trying to hold everything and everyone together. Her journey through grief and grace is ultimately one of letting go. It is the core of the play's emotional power.
Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie. Mid to late 20s; Pediatric nurse
Bright, headstrong, and full of life, Shelby is the daughter every Southern mother dreams of, and worries about. A young woman with serious health challenges, she’s determined to live her life on her own terms. Shelby is the spark that lights the room, even in her most difficult moments.
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Ensemble Dynamics
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The chemistry amongst the cast is vital. This show thrives on the relationships between the characters.
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Ages can be adjusted as needed, but generational diversity in age and energy is important to reflect the layered nature of the group.
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All actors must be comfortable with physical business related to hair, nails, and salon routines, though it can be taught in rehearsal.
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