Steel Magnolias: A Celebration of Women and Friendship

By: Toby Knutson

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Moses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.~(Matthew 27:55-56)

In Steel Magnolias, the strength and com passion of women shine through laughter, heartbreak, and resilience. Much like the women who followed Jesus from Galilee, the characters in this play embody steadfast love and care for one another in every season of life. Their friendship becomes a quiet act of faith, showing how presence, service, and compassion can reflect Christ’s love in ordinary moments. Just as Mary Magdalene and the others stood by Jesus in his suffering, these women stand by each other through both joy and loss. Steel Magnolias was presented on the Meredith stage November 12, 13, 14 at 7 p.m. and November 15 at 2 p.m. Written by Robert Har ling, the play is set in a 1980s Louisiana beauty salon, where a group of women gather to share in life’s joys, challenges, and changes. Their conversations, filled with humor and honesty, reveal the deep bonds that hold them together through every season. Alecia Juelfs, the Assistant Professor of Theater and Theater Program Director here at USF, ex plains that the idea to put on Steel Magnolias began with a personal connection through her mom. “[Steel Magnolias is] her favorite thing in the entire world,” Juelfs said. “I was familiar with it in that way. We [also] have lots of very talented women that I feel don’t always get as many opportunities to shine.” This combination of personal meaning and artistic opportunity made Steel Magnolias the perfect choice for this season’s production. Juelfs saw the play as a way to both honor her mother’s love for the story and celebrate the remarkable women within the USF theater community. Centered on friendship and resilience, the production celebrates both the strength of its characters and the community of women bringing them to life. While the beauty salon in the show is the ladies’ place of connection, Ellie Erickson, a senior Criminal Justice major, who plays the role of Shelby Eatenton Latcherie, talks about a place of connection in her own life. “The atmosphere of Steel Magnolias feels similar to my grandma’s house when I was growing up,” said Erickson. That sense of warmth and familiarity is what makes the show so special for Erickson, reminding her of the love and laughter shared across generations of women in her own family. Erickson recounts the times when her, her sister, and her mom would visit her grandma’s house while she was baking. “We were always in the kitchen, she’s baking something and we’re just yapping,” Erickson shares. With these personal connections and heart felt themes, the production invites audiences to reflect on what Steel Magnolias reveals about love, faith, and the power of community. Juelfs hopes that “they [the audience] think of the women in their lives that have shaped them, have made sacrifices, have loved them well throughout their lives. I firmly believe not a single person has been successful in anything they’ve done without a woman influencing them in some way.” Along with Juelfs’ hope of reflection, Erickson invites the audience to realize “there is so much more depth to women than being physically beautiful, being a gossip, or just kind of all the stereotypes.” While Steel Magnolias leans into these stereotypes a little – being set in a beauty salon or, seeing these southern women gossip – Erickson asks that the audience would “dive deeper into the actual dialogue and the subtext of everything that’s going on. And that female friendships can be some of the most fulfilling ones of your life.” Like the women who followed and stood by Jesus, Steel Magnolias celebrates the steadfast love, faith, and friendship that holds communities together. “God has given women throughout all humanity very specific, but intentional roles”, said Juelfs. The story reminds us that God’s grace is often revealed not through grand gestures, but through simple moments of care, laughter, and presence. In watching these women stand by one another through life’s joys and struggles, we’re reminded of the quiet, powerful ways love reflects Christ in our everyday relationships.