Pioneer Place
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ST. CLOUD - Pioneer Place Theatre Company presents Steel Magnolias, an original screen play by Robert Harling. Based off the 1989 movie of the same name, this play follows six women that come together to share stories and gossip in a small Louisiana town at Truvy’s local beauty salon. Once tragedy strikes, these women come together, and the relationships they forge at the salon help get them through the hard times. Director Raine Hakon says the play is sort of a character study.

We get to learn about each one of them, and their relationships. Towards the end we get struck with a tragedy, and it’s about how these women deal with that tragedy, and how the strength of their relationship helps them put their feet on the ground, and walk forward.

Hakon says the plot of the screen play is similar to the movie, but he and the cast have made a conscious decision to move as far away from the movie as possible because it has become so iconic.

We made casting decisions that don’t reflect the actors that you see in the film. That gives us more opportunity to focus on the actual story-line rather than trying to mimic what was done in the past.

Steel Magnolias at Pioneer Place Theater in St. Cloud
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
Steel Magnolias at Pioneer Place Theater in St. Cloud
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
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The cast featuring three professional actresses from St. Cloud, alongside three professional actresses from the Twin Cities include Amelia Lisi, Patty Soltis, Karen Wiese-Thompson, Sarah Nargang, Jean Shore, and Solveig Anderson. Most of them have worked together before so the relationships being built on stage were not hard to develop for the cast. Hakon says the play celebrates the women, and really focuses on the strength of the women portrayed in the play.

The cast will be accompanied by what Hakon calls an amazing set.

It’s been a lot of work, but a lot of fun actually creating a complete working, running, beauty salon on stage, complete with running water. That’s part of the spectacle of the show is that these ladies have actually brought in a professional stylist to teach them how to actually do hair. They are actually doing the hairstyles as the play is going on, and that’s a lot of fun to watch.

Tickets are $22 for adults and $18 for students/seniors. Steel Magnolias hits the stage this weekend, and runs through March 29th.

Steel Magnolias at Pioneer Place Theater in St. Cloud
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
Steel Magnolias at Pioneer Place Theater in St. Cloud
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
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SHOW DATES & TIMES

Friday, March 13th – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 14th – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 15th – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 19th – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 20th – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 21st – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 22nd – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 26th – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 27th – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Mach 28th – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 29th – 2:00 p.m.

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