This Valentine’s Day celebrate the love of friends and family as Boone Productions presents Steel Magnolias, opening at The Nest on Granville Island, February 14th.
An all-female collective of Vancouver-based performers brings playwright Robert Harling’s heartwarming and witty play to life. Steel Magnolias is based on the life of Harling’s younger sister, Susan, who passed away due to complications from type 1 diabetes. Originally written as a short story before being adapted into a highly acclaimed off-Broadway play in 1987. Its most well-known adaptation is the 1989 Steel Magnolias film starring Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Darryl Hannah, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis.
“Steel Magnolias is a powerful story about the healing nature of friendship — an incredibly important message in our fast-paced and increasingly lonely society today,” says actor and co-producer Lalainia Lindbjerg, who plays the matriarchal role of M’Lynn. “We all have an intrinsic need for deep, interconnected friendships; humans were never meant to live our lives alone. And with the emergence of a multitude of bold female voices in the #MeToo era, Steel Magnolias presents an image of collective strength that helps us imagine a world with more examples of female leadership.”
Boone Dog Productions’ presentation of Steel Magnolias brings together a group of six powerhouse performers, many of whom have worked together on recent Vancouver Productions; Jaime Piercy as Shelby, Lalainia Lindbjerg as M’Lynn, Gillian Barber as Clairee, Ranae Miller as Annelle, Sheryl Anne Wheaton as Truvy, and Chy as Ouiser.
Directed by acclaimed director and producer Shel Piercy, the play features set design by Francesca Albertazzi (head of design for the hit television show Love It or List It Vancouver, set designer for three seasons of Theatre Under the Stars)and costumes by award-winning costumer Christina Sinosich (Theatre Under the Stars, Gateway Theatre).
Steel Magnolias is onstage from February 14–March 8, 2020, at The Nest, 1398 Cartwright St, Granville Island. Visit steelmagnoliasvancouver.com for showtimes and tickets
During the run, Boone Dog Productions will also partner with the BC Diabetes Research Network and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (Diabetes Group), in an effort to raise awareness of the need for continued research and support for type 1 diabetes in Canada.