Join us for Steel Magnolias on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m.
Steel Magnolias will be presented by L.A. Theater Works on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m., in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall. The play will be preceded by an Artists in Conversation event on the same day at 5:00 p.m. in the Music/Theater Building, Room 2013. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Center for the Arts and the Friends of Theater at Mason.
Steel Magnolias remains one of the great stories of female empowerment and resilience. The L.A. Theatre Works national tour features a diverse cast of six extraordinary women. Within the walls of Truvy’s beauty shop, set in the deep Bayou of Louisiana, these six women’s lives increasingly hinge on the existence of one another. Together, they absorb the passing seasons, just like the weathered wooden structure of the salon “home” that they share. In a recent interview with the new Center for the Arts Programming Manager, Adrienne Bryant Godwin, Adrienne mentioned that she is looking forward to seeing the production of Steel Magnolias because the L.A. Theatre Works had just announced their casting for the play, and they’ll be featuring a diverse cast. She commented, “I’m really looking forward to seeing how this casting decision affects the story.”
Guest speaker for this Artists in Conversation event will be Ken Elston, Director of the School of Theater at George Mason University, who will talk about American theater traditions. Mr. Elston, (M.F.A. Ohio State University, B.A. Temple University), is the artistic director of the not-for-profit theater company, Footsteps In Time, and a professional consultant in the area of presentation skills. Ken teaches Acting, Directing, and has a specialty in Movement for the Stage. Directing credits include off-Broadway, university, and regional theaters. His acting credits also include stage, television, and film.
The AIC program will include information on the upcoming GMU Musical production of Big River, as well as on the School of Theater/Mason Players’ Fall Season. In addition, student recipients of Friends of Theater and Arts by George scholarships will be there. The program will conclude in time for guests to attend the L.A. Theatre Works’ Pre-Performance Discussion on the Monson Grand Tier in the Concert Hall at 6:15 p.m.
A light buffet of Southern favorites will be available. Invitations will be going out soon to Friends at the Contributor level and higher. Tickets to the Great Performance event must be purchased separately.