"They're supposed to be made out of steel or something"

“Steel Magnolias exemplifies the core of love, positivity and strength of women. Not just Southern women, but all women,” Kelly Shepherd, who plays ‘Ouiser in our production of Steel Magnolias, explains when asked why is this show so special for so many people.

Annette Remitera as Truvy, Sierra Hobbs as Shelby, Kelly Shepherd as ‘Ousier, Olivia Kegley as Anelle, Leslee Young as M’lynn

You can sit in the audience and see that love and strength were absolutely at the core of creating this production, and although 2020 has made positivity hard to find, it’s in there too.

Kelly Shepherd as ‘Ousier, Leslee Young as M’lynn

The cast and crew went into this process knowing this would be a different production. This is the first mainstage production at Pensacola Little Theatre since COVID19 changed everything for everyone. 

There are a lot of emotional moments throughout this beloved show that had to be explored with fresh cautious eyes. Kathy Holsworth, the show’s director and Artistic Director at PLT, thought long and hard about the blocking and how to show the audience these incredibly strong relationships without a lot of touching. She wanted to make sure the actors had very limited contact with each other throughout the entire process.

Annette Remitera who plays the vibrant salon owner, Truvy, says that the experience of socially-distanced blocking has been both challenging and beneficial. “Blocking with strategic distancing challenges your ability as an actress to convey intimacy without touch. It has allowed us to open up our hearts, and better embody the dialogue without relying on tropes- the ‘it’s all right’ pat, the ‘look how much I support you’ hug, etc.”

Having to do without those “tropes” has caused these 6 actors to sharpen some other important acting skills. “It's been a great lesson. I never realized before how much we as actors depend on the power of our hands. You certainly can teach an old dog new tricks,” says Shepherd.

Leslee Young as M’lynn, Connie Cali as Clairee, Kelly Shepherd as ‘Ousier, Olivia Kegley as Anelle

Sierra Hobbs as Shelby, Remitera as Truvy

She goes on to explain that having to work through these challenges together has brought the women closer together, “ I want to hug all these women so badly. I do find myself listening more intently and finding new ways to emote concern other than touching. Conveying through vocal emotions and facial expression has bonded us more deeply than hand to body reaction.”

Our production of Steel Magnolias runs for its last weekend October 22-25. You can also watch it online if you aren't quite ready to return to the theatre. 

This cast has faced a global pandemic, socially distanced blocking and programming, plus a hurricane during this rehearsal process with amazing grace. They are all truly Steel Magnolias.

Written by Ashley McGlothren

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A Sleeping Country Wakes up the Courtroom

The Cultural Center is abuzz with the first show of the ‘20-‘21 season about to open! Anytime the new season rolls around, the excitement of the staff and volunteers is borderline palpable, and this year is no different in that respect.

As we all know, COVID 19 has drastically affected our little theatre. Our doors have been shut since March, and we desperately miss making theatre for our faithful patrons and collaboratively creating with friends. New updates were coming in daily concerning our community’s situation (and still are), meaning some shows had to be moved to different season slots, and some events have been canceled altogether. These decisions were difficult and often proceeded by hard, sometimes tear-filled conversations. Our volunteers and staff pour their hearts into what they do here inside our walls, and we are so happy that our new season is taking shape and finally coming to fruition.

The cast of A Sleeping Country in rehearsal.

First up this season is A Sleeping Country. This moving comedy about a woman struggling to find what keeps her in a state of relentless unrest takes the Courtroom stage at the end of August. With everything going on in the world, Director Kyle Golden says the story of the show is something that everyone can likely relate to right now.

“The show is hilarious, though it has some very sweet and sentimental moments throughout. I feel like insomnia is something that everyone encounters at some point in their life, particularly now with all of this COVID-19 business,” says Golden. “With all the other problems we’re facing in the world right now, it can be difficult to get a good night's sleep. The feeling of exhaustion and the anxiety that comes with it is extremely relatable.”

When choosing what shows we should bring to our audience this season, safety was the first priority our staff and artistic committee took into consideration. Golden, who sits on the artistic committee, was set to direct a completely different production before COVID invaded our community. After some creative decision making, A Sleeping Country was chosen to replace the larger production that was on the schedule. He explains, “I chose to direct A Sleeping Country because it's so well written…but also because of the many things changing around COVID safety concerns. The smaller cast was a no-brainer.” The cast consists of four actors from the community playing eight roles.

Laynie Gibson and Renee Jordan rehearse a scene as Julia and Midge.

Laynie Gibson plays Julia, the endearingly frazzled young woman suffering from a ruthless bout of insomnia. Although this is Laynie’s first scripted production on the PLT stage, you have likely seen her performing for the last several years with Pensacola’s premiere improve comedy troupe, Improvable Cause. Playing Julia’s hilariously distracted therapist and best friend Midge is PLT stage veteran Renee Jordan. Audiences last saw her as Vanda in our Studio 400 production of Venus in Fur last season. Jordan is one of two actors in the production playing multiple characters. On top of playing Midge, she makes an appearance as an Italian Gondolier and a very sleepy heiress. David Carbaugh, most recently seen as the titular character in Arrant Knavery’s fall production of Macbeth, easily navigates through his multiple characters as Julia’s fiance Greg, a devoted butler of sorts, and a very stunning (but not so bright) Italian man. Christina Cusak-Curbelo, last seen in PLT’s 2015 production of God of Carnage and longtime member of Improvable Cause, as Isabella Orsini completes this talented cast. Isabella is an Italian heiress with the only case of fatal insomnia in the world. She is delightfully sophisticated with a wicked sense of humor.

Julia (Laynie Gibson) and her fiance Greg (David Carbaugh) discuss her insomnia.

The rehearsal process for A Sleeping Country has been carefully planned, with the safety of all involved being the most important aspect. Golden describes some of the measures that are being taken. “We require all of our cast and crew to wear a facemask during rehearsal, as well as practicing good hygiene. We have also asked that everyone try to limit their exposure to anything outside of work, rehearsals, and individual homes. Everyone who enters the building has to sign in and sanitize their hands prior to rehearsal. Our top concern is the safety of our team, so we only ask actors to perform at a level and distance that is comfortable for them.”

With all the new precautions, Renee Jordan explains that the cast has actually created an even stronger bond through the common goal of keeping each other safe. “You have to do even more to protect yourself and your cast-mates throughout this rehearsal and performance process. It is an extra challenge, especially when working with comedic material, to play off each other and only having access to your scene partner’s eyes. But there is also a deeper connection happening there because of that limitation. The passion, energy, and sheer love affair with telling a story that we all feel as actors/directors/etc. is still there.”

Isabella Orsini (Christina Cusak-Curbelo) and Franco (David Carbaugh) judge the contents of Julia’s (Laynie Gibson) luggage.

We can’t wait to present this hilarious and heartwarming production to you later this month. Live performance dates and streaming options will be available. To keep our patrons safe, we are limiting seating in the theatre as well as requiring all those in attendance to wear a mask.

It goes without saying that these are unprecedented times – but like always – the theatre will prevail, the show will go on, and this show will be proof. As Renee says “Artists have always been able to bend to the times, and it has been amazing watching PLT work so diligently to keep our space safe so we can do what we do best...create and entertain. It’s just one more reason why we all call PLT home.”

Written by Ashley McGlothren