Culver City Observer -

Kentwood Players proudly presents STEEL MAGNOLIAS by Robert Harling. Performance dates are Friday, March 15 through Saturday, April 6, 2024, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Saturday matinees at 2:00pm will be added on March 23 and continue through the rest of the run. This is a non-equity, all-volunteer production directed by Jon Sparks and produced by Alison Boole and Kirk Larson for Kentwood Players with rights secured from Dramatists Play Service. Featured in the cast are Jahnavi Alyssa (Shelby), Elizabeth Bouton Summerer (M'Lynn), Amy Coles (Truvy), Grady Hicks (Annelle), Catherine Rahm (Ouiser), and Michele Selin (Clairee).

STEEL MAGNOLIAS follows the trials and tribulations of six sassy and formidable women in 1980's Chinquapin Parish, Louisiana. Truvy's Beauty Salon is where all the ladies who are anybody in town meet every Saturday to have their hair done and exchange news and gossip. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle, the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to Ouiser, the town's rich curmudgeon; Miss Clairee, an eccentric millionaire with a raging sweet tooth; and M'Lynn, the local social leader whose daughter Shelby, the prettiest girl in town, is about to get married.

Filled with hilarious repartee and humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play takes a dark turn when the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) goes against the advice of her mother and doctor and risks her life to have a baby. The play draws the women together to deal with life, love and loss, drawing on their underlying strength and devotion to each other in good times and bad.

Reserved seat tickets are $25 with a $4 discount for seniors and students, available online at http://www.kentwoodplayers.org, by emailing the box office at boxoffice@kentwoodplayers.org or calling (310) 645-5156. All box office emails and messages will be answered in the order received to confirm your ticket order. Group rates for 10 or more at $18 per ticket can be arranged with the box office. Based on availability, rush tickets will be available at the box office on Saturday, March 23 at 1:30pm for that 2pm performance only.

Kentwood Players 74th Anniversary Season continues with Steel Magnolias 3/15– 4/16; the Tony-Award winning musical Once on this Island 5/10-6/8; Neil Simon's comedy Fools 7/19-8/10; the suspenseful thriller Misery 9/13-10/5; and Mel Brooks' musical comedy The Producers 11/15-12/14. Their 75th Anniversary Season begins with Real Women Have Curves by Josephina Lopez 1/17-2/8/25. Season tickets for all six consecutive productions are available for $95 via the box office.

Metro Train riders can take the K Line to Kentwood, exiting at the Westchester/Veterans station at Florence and Hindry, just one block from the Westchester Playhouse. Riders who show their Metro TAP card when purchasing a full price ticket at the box office will receive a $5 discount for that performance.

For drivers, there are two free parking lots available. The small lot next to the Westchester Playhouse is reserved for disabled patrons only. The Hensel Phelps parking lot at 8330 Hindry Avenue (across the street, next to the Metro train tracks) opens an hour before each performance, is locked when a performance begins, and reopens at the end of the show. Look for our parking lot greeter to welcome you. Free street parking is available on 83rd Street and in the adjoining neighborhood, but do not park on Hindry between the Playhouse and Metrolink station. Please read all traffic and parking signs carefully.

Gloria Ramirez-Plunkett

Steel Magnolias 4 M'Lynn (Elizabeth Summerer) looks on as Shelby (Jahnavi Alyssa) shares the effects of her dialysis with Truvy (Amy Coles). Kentwood Players presents Steel Magnolias at the Westchester Playhouse opening March 15 through April 6. Info and tix www.kentwoodplayers.org

For more information about Kentwood Players including our current production, upcoming auditions, and shows, please visit the Kentwood Players website at http://www.kentwoodplayers.org. You can also find Kentwood Players information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Another way to learn more about Kentwood Players and our members is to attend in-person Kentwood Players membership meetings, which are free to the public and held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Los Angeles 90045. Come on down and find out more about our 74-years-old and going strong community theater group and how you can get involved as one of our volunteers!

Kentwood Players is a non-profit theatre group dedicated to enriching, educating, and entertaining our community through the transformative power of live theatre while creating an environment for inspiring human potential. As a 501C3 organization, donations to Kentwood Players in any amount are always greatly appreciated and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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