STEEL MAGNOLIAS

DIRECTOR: PAIGE PRICE
STARRING: AMY LOUI, TAYLOR QUICK…
SET DESIGN: KATE RANCE
LIGHTING DESIGN: SEAN SAVOIE
COSTUME DESIGN: BRAD MUSGROVE
SOUND DESIGN: NEVIN STEINBERG
VENUE: KIRKWOOD PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
COMPANY: STAGES ST LOUIS 2024

‘…An outstanding scenic design…an authentic glimpse of Southern living in the ‘80s’
POP Life STL

‘The phenomenal set… makes effective use of LED tubes (which) frame the stage with light and enhance the “bigger than life” role that the salon plays for the characters. Plus, they’re just plain ole cool lookin’. The intimate set…bespeaks quality, ‘80s’
KDHX

‘Kate Rance’s vintage interior of Truvy’s salon is period appropriate and…establishes the seasons of the year. Her props…are delightfully hilarious. The ravishing work of the technical team make this production as beautiful as a Louisiana magnolia tree in full June bloom.
Broadway World

‘One of the most striking aspects of this particular production…is the magnificent set by Kate Rance, which is notable for its detail and 1980s atmosphere..
Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts

‘…An impressive set…which fills the stage with accoutrements for a salon and looks realistic enough for the dynamic cast to freshen up should they need…’
Ladue News

Robert Harling said the title ‘Steel Magnolias’ was meant to convey both the strength and fragility of women. Director, Paige Price and I developed the idea of the beauty shop as an unchanging safe space in a world than often feels chaotic. Visually, I wanted a sense of an unfocused and ever-changing exterior (represented by the abstract and shifting backdrop we created with projection) contrasting a interior that feels sharply real and solid. The bleedthrough walls of the salon are a barrier between these two worlds, sometimes strong, sometimes diminished in times of stress and uncertainty, but always holding. I opted for a simplistic and linear steel frame construction to frame the main set and the roof line that hovers above it, and LD Sean Savoie turned this into a striking lit element that reinforces this visual barrier. The play is set in the early 80s is there but I wanted to create an overall impression of something a little untouched by time. The author’s note says these are ‘real characters and in no way cartoons or caricatures’ and I wanted to do that justice as I created ‘Truvy’s Shampoo & Set’.