On Oct. 25 and 26, the MAHS Theatre Department showcased the fall play, “Steel Magnolias”.
Since the beginning of September, the cast was hard at work memorizing lines and rehearsing the show.
Auditions were held on Sept. 9. When considering auditioning, senior Alice Ravert, playing M’Lynn Eatenton, was hooked on the emotions in the plot.
“’Steel Magnolias’ is a completely different vibe from any other show [I’ve] done, and [I] wanted the challenge of tackling a new type of acting,” said Ravert.
Junior Paige Rosenbaum played Truvy Jones. She sat down with her mom to watch the movie before auditions
“[I] thought it was a very emotional and moving story and it made [me] want to be a part of telling the story,” said Rosenbaum.
The emotional scenes that Ravert and Rosenbaum love were among the cast’s favorite scenes in the show, but they had some others as well.
Senior Grace Barkauskas, who plays Ouiser Boudreaux, said that along with the heavier parts, she also loves some of Ouiser’s one liners!
Freshman Zelma Haight, playing Annelle, feels the same way as Barkauskas, noting that her favorite scene is any scene that Ouiser is in because she adds so much character to the production.
Even though there are fun aspects to the play, the cast faced challenges as well.
Senior Lillian McCulloch’s said her biggest challenge was remembering lines and it was shared by the majority of the cast.
“The most challenging part so far has been memorizing,” said junior Kristen Dinges. She noted that this aspect was a big time commitment, but the rehearsals were only twice a week,” which made it more manageable.
Overall, the cast made so many memories amidst the struggles they faced along the way, just like their characters did.
“I think that you really just have to put yourself out there! It can be really hard sometimes, but you just have to step outside of your comfort zone and become the character!” said Rosenbaum. “You need to keep believing in yourself, and as long as you have confidence, others will believe in you!”
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Inside the Salon: Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peeks
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Members of stage crew, along with cast members, help paint the walls of the set before rehearsal. |
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Parent volunteers set up ladders in preparation for decorating the set. |
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Cast members Grace Barkauskas and Lilly McCulloch pose for a silly picture in the window frame. |
Featured photo (at top): Freshman Zelma Haight (Annelle) laughs on stage with Kristen Dinges (Shelby). This was Haight’s first high school performance. Photo by Ali Ravert.
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