Dexter Community Players is presenting a Dinner Theater featuring Robert Harling’s play, Steel Magnolias, on April 27, 28, & 29 at Knights of Columbus Hall in Dexter.
Dexter’s local theatre troupe is upping their act from the familiar and fun stage performances, with which they’ve been captivating audiences for years, to the next level of entertainment that also features a dinner from Dexter’s popular Hotel Hickman.
The menu will include Hickman’s famous pulled pork, smoked chicken, mac ‘n cheese, backed beans, cole slaw, corn bread, tossed salad, and a Bleedin’ Armadillo Groom’s Cake from the Dexter Bakery. In addition to soft drinks and coffee, the Knights of Columbus’ cash bar will be open.
Steel Magnolias is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, (“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years”). The cast of quirky characters continues with eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth and the local socialite, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.”
Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad.
Steel Magnolias is directed by longtime DCP member Dick Danner who has directed several local productions including Blith Spirit in 2016. Danner is assisted by Dexter resident Samantha Kempt, a Paraeducator at Bates Elementary, who recently directed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The cast:
- Truvy: Abby Briggs
- Annelle: Kylie Densmore
- M’Lynn: Denyse Clayton
- Shelby: Laura Chodoroff
- Ousier: BJ Danner
- Clairee: Joy Gee
Times for Steel Magnolias is 6:30 pm on April 27th & 28th, and 1:30 pm on the 29th.
Tickets are $39 for adults and $36 for students and seniors and may be purchased in advance at dcp.yapsody.com
If you like what We Love Dexter is doing with local news coverage and want to see us continue to grow, you can help by supporting our advertisers — and by taking a moment to support us with as little as $5 here. Thank you so very much.
