In my theater class I was given the assignment of having to write a critical review of the play “Steel Magnolias,” by Robert Harding. So on the Wednesday before the holiday weekend (Rosh-Ha-Shana) I decided to make the trip over to the Hand Chapel on the Mount Vernon Campus, to see this play that I had already convinced myself was going to be dreadful, or at least that was what I wanted myself to believe. It was for this reason that in the beginning I wanted to be over critical and to pick apart every little detail. There was only one problem, the fact I thought the play was absolutely terrific. The caliber of this play was far superior to that which I had expected. Although, there were a few minor complaints I did have they hardly took away from the overall production.
In my opinion, the most successful aspect in this play was the actresses, not just because they were good, but rather because they were incredibly believable. I did not feel that I was watching actors on the stage, rather that I was watching the lives of the six individuals unfold. They became their characters. A perfect example of this can be seen when Sabrina Hyman, who was playing the part of Truvy, was decorating the salon for Christmas and had to improve. While placing tinsel on the couch she was unable to keep it on the desired spot, because it kept falling off of the arm. Initially when she realized that the tinsel was not staying in its place she did not panic, as one would have thought.
Instead she simply tried again, and then even a third time without showing any signs of a problem, she had to finally walk away without properly placing the tinsel where it should have been. This quick change in events did not throw her off in the least; she played it off like nothing was wrong. She played it off, as Truvy Jones would have in real life. Although I did feel that the acting in the play was truly amazing I did have two problems, and a couple of instances where I was given a reality check and reminded that it was just a play. My first complaint was that although Patricia Jenson and Jenny Towns did a terrific job, they were not able to play the part of elder women simply because of their age.
Patricia Jenson who played, the oldest woman, Clare e B lecher did an incredible job with her role. However, in my opinion, just did not have some of the same mannerisms that a woman of her age would have. Jenny Towns also did an absolutely terrific job, however there was one incident in particular that I had a problem with. During Shelby’s diabetic attack she did not show the concern that I felt a mother would have. Mothers and daughters have a special connection something that in my opinion cannot be duplicated by anyone else. This however only seemed to be a problem in this scene and I think it is because it was basically the only scene where they are together when feelings like are needed to be shown.
It also could have been because it occurred early on in the production before her situation became serious. Although there were minor flaws in the performances of the actresses they did an incredible job bringing this production to life. No matter how incredible an actor or actress is it is nearly impossible for a production to be brought to life if the visual aspect prevents it. This was not the case in this production. The Hand Chapel would be considered found space, in the aspect that it was never designed for this purpose. Aside from the fact that, the seating was uncomfortable, being an understatement they were able to create the look that I would picture when thinking of a southern salon.
I was more than skeptical at first, I didn’t want to be there, was terribly uncomfortable after 2 minutes, and was just trying to figure out why the set looked like the outside of a house. The only solution that I was able to come up with was that they cheeped out, or just didn’t have the money in the first place. It wasn’t long before I found out why the set was like this; the salon was originally an outdoor garage, which was converted into the salon. Shortly after this I was proven wrong once again when I started to learn how much time was taken into set design. Everything down to the running water fit together perfectly, which enabled one to suspend their beliefs even further. On the other hand, the running water could also be looked at as a distraction.
Personally I did not feel that way however, my friend sitting next to me did not stop speaking about it for about five minutes, which in turn was a distraction to me. The only problem that I did have with the set was the dog barking and gunshots. In my opinion these sound effects were so artificial that I found this to be a tremendous distraction. During this part of the play I found myself paying attention to these terrible sounds only trying to find out why they were so bad and unrealistic rather than what was occurring at the time.
This was my biggest problem with the play; I am not sure exactly why but it just really bothered me. Another important aspect in producing a successful play is the costume design. In this production the clothes that they wore is what one would suspect, or at least what is pictured in my mind when I think of southerners. Coming from the New York area, the clothes that they wore seemed to suspend reality that extra step. On the other hand, when I think of the word southerner, simple is the first thing that comes to mind. Their makeup however, was not simple at all.
I did not think that this harmed the production, it was just something that I had noticed. I thought that this performance as a whole was absolutely incredible and I think that part of this can be attributed to the atmosphere that was created. I felt that I had become a part of their lives, and because of this I was able to relate with the message that they were trying to get across. In my opinion this was caused by the close quarters that the hand chapel l ended itself to. I felt like I was forced to pay attention because if I didn’t the actresses would have known, and because I paid attention in the beginning, which allowed me to get into the play.
Although the Hand Chapel was not chosen to be the location of the production, I feel a better place could not have been selected. In fact, I was shocked with what was accomplished. I went in thinking I was going to hate it, expecting a poorly designed set, costumes and acting. After all, before this the phrase a school production meant a waste of time, just because what I was forced to see in High School. All in all, I was overly taken in by the production, and thought it was amazing to see what college kids can do, despite the small number of complaints that I had.