PGLT performances are uniformly solid. Hillary Mazer creates a strong, gregarious Truvy with biting wit. She missed a few lines the evening I saw the show, and she wasn't quite convincing as a professional hair stylist, but these are minor quibbles in an overall solid characterization.
As Annelle, Cassie Youhouse expertly winds hair curlers, and conveys her evolution from bewildered to born-again while missing no chance to go for a laugh.
Linda Smith plays Clairee, starting a new life as a radio station owner, as a classy independent woman who knows how to deliver a comic barb.
Gayle Negri creates a multidimensional Ouiser, a breathing woman, not a mere caricature.
The relationship of mother and daughter M'Lynn and Shelby is central. Meg Yednock's Shelby is a brave young woman who wants to experience all of life. Rosalie Daelemans plays M'Lynn, a serenely self-assured socialite who trades quips with the best of the regulars while expressing a selfless love for her daughter that includes supporting her decision to have a baby, donating a kidney and remaining at her bedside during her final illness. Much of this experience is recounted in the show's dramatic peak.
"Steel Magnolias" continues at Bowie Playhouse in Whitemarsh Park at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Information: www.pglt.org or 301-937-7458.
