“Steel Magnolias,” a stage play that follows the lives and friendships of a group of women in small-town Louisiana, will run from Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 18-20 at the Waldron Arts Center in Bloomington.
Robert Harling wrote the stage play “Steel Magnolias” in 1987. The beloved classic is set entirely inside one of the character’s beauty salon.
“We want audiences to feel right at home in this haven of self-care, hairspray and casseroles,” Cassie Hakken, co-director of “Steel Magnolias” and founding board member of Off Night Productions, said in an email. “We invite you to connect with these six incredibly real women as they embrace the hilarity and tragedy of life and the restoring power of female friendships.”
Hakken said leading the show as a co-director with Aubrey Seader, co-director for the show and artistic director of Off Night Productions, a female-led theater company based in Monroe county, has been a delightful process. Collaboration between the artistic partners has felt natural, she said, and they have been able to split the workload based on their strengths. Hakken is leading the show’s table talk, blocking and technical elements, while Seader is focusing on the ensemble work, dialect coaching and character development.
“We prepared extensively before the rehearsal process to make sure we were on the same page about everything and could come into the rehearsal process as a united front,” Hakken said in an email. “This show has a ton of moving parts, and it's really helpful to have more eyes on each scene.”
“Steel Magnolias” is Off Night Productions’ second fully-staged show. Its first was “Proof,” which it showed in July 2023. Off Night Productions prioritizes female and non-binary artistic leadership.
Off Night Productions’ mission is to tackle issues and limitations in the theater industry locally and globally by producing on off-nights of the traditional performance week and practicing sustainability from the planning stages of each production through the final performance and set tear down. Staging shows Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays allows actors, musicians and audience members to work Friday and Saturday nights or enjoy other performances, according to the production company’s website.
Seader founded the production company alongside her mother, Melinda Seader, in February 2023. The company has been an official nonprofit since December 2023.
Off Night Productions exists amongst a number of other professional arts organizations and local professional theater companies in Bloomington and Monroe County. Seader said in an email the local performing arts community has been excited about the company’s pledge to do more theater by and about women.
“I grew up in Bloomington, so I am invested in this local audience and in programming seasons that serve our unique local audiences while also serving our mission,” Seader said.
Seader is excited about the strong foundation of support Off Night Productions has created and for continuing to collaborate with local talent.
“Practically, our future looks like more fully produced plays, live storytelling events, cabarets and play-readings centering the work of women and non-binary artists,” Seader said.
Performances of “Steel Magnolias" are at 2 p.m. Aug. 11 and 18 and 7 p.m. Aug. 12-13 and Aug. 19-20. Doors will open 30 minutes before each event. Those interested can purchase tickets on the Buskirk-Chumley Theater website, and if not sold out, tickets will be available for purchase at the Waldron Arts Center door for the show.
Learn more about Off Night Productions’ next show and upcoming 2025 season on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the correct location of the show.
