Humor, Drama Bloom in Players' 'Steel Magnolias'

Few plays depend as much on chemistry between actors as "Steel Magnolias." And there's enough chemistry here to keep an army of scientists busy in a delightfully rewarding production now onstage from Providence Players.

Even though it is a challenging mix of character-based comedy and drama, this close-up look at the lives of six women who inhabit a Louisiana beauty parlor usually works rather well. But this cast, in particular, manages to transcend performance and seems to bond with their rapt audience.

Some of the men who spot this play on the calendar for one of the next two weekends may grumble in advance at the idea of spending 2 1/2 hours in a carport-turned-beauty shop listening to a bunch of Southern ladies gab and gossip and grapple with life. But the laughs transcend sexual stereotype, and the drama has more than a few hardy male types furtively wiping their eyes. If nothing else, the extremely rare opportunity to see audience members laughing through their tears makes this play worth your time.

"Steel Magnolias" began life as a short story based on a personal tragedy experienced by writer Robert Harling. It was a successful off-Broadway production and a hit 1989 film. With its small cast, the requirement for only one set, and a surefire story line, the play has been produced by quite a few area theater companies, so it is probably familiar to many audience members by now. But the Providence Players prove that this multilayered character study can still pack a punch even after repeated viewings.

The hair salon of Truvy, played by Liz Smith, is a clubhouse where the women of small-town Chinquapin gather. It's the 1980s as we meet them on Shelby's wedding day. Shelby (Amy Baska) is getting her hair done by the flamboyant proprietor. Shelby is the spirited but sickly daughter of M'Lynn (Beth Whitehead).

We stay with the ladies for several years, hearing all about Shelby's early days of marriage, her struggles with illness, and the demands of pregnancy and motherhood. The salon sorority includes the mysterious new "glamour technician," Annelle (Courtney Fontaine), the curmudgeonly, idiosyncratic Ouiser (Beth Hughes-Brown) and the recently widowed businesswoman Clairee (Joyce Montgomery).

Director Tina Thronson never allows the ensemble play to get mired in melodrama. She has made sure each of her actors inhabits her character. That means the Southern accents and individual attitudes are rich and perfectly maintained. The energy never lags, which would be deadly in a longish play that's almost nothing but talk.

Thronson's cast keeps it simple and honest, going for the laughs to be found in the snappy dialogue, while making sure the wisecracks don't smother the heart of the story. Each of these magnolias blossoms as the conversations flow with natural rhythms, and life seems to unfold before our eyes. That's more challenging than it might seem at first, when one considers how much of the dialogue is simply setup and punch lines.

Traversing the widest emotional range in the group is Beth Whitehead, who has quite serious work to do as pragmatic M'Lynn, concerned that her headstrong daughter may not always make the wisest choices. She is the quietest of the bunch, held in reserve by playwright and director until it's time to unleash her dramatic prowess in a gripping scene. (That rustling sound is hands rummaging about in pockets and purses for facial tissues.)

Smith and Fontaine also demonstrate sharp abilities to split their attention, as Truvy and Annelle style the women's hair while all the talking is going on. To their credit, the hair looks good, even as they concentrate on character, lines and movement. That bit of realism is aided by John Coscia's well-detailed, three-dimensional set, which has so much personality it almost becomes an additional character.

"Steel Magnolias" continues through May 17, by Providence Players at the James Lee Community Center Theater, 2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday . For information, visithttp://www.providenceplayers.org. For tickets, call 703-425-6782.