Much more than a beauty shop

Fran Maurino as Clairee Belcher, Melody Murphy as Truvy Jones, Katarina Shaner as Shelby Eatenton Latcherie and Trinna Pye as M’Lynn Eatenton rehearse a scene from “Steel Magnolias” on March 10, 2026. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

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Posted March 11, 2026 | By Susan Smiley-Height / Photos by Bruce Ackerman

The Ocala Civic Theatre, or The Civic, is pulling out all the bobby pins in celebration of its 75^th season.

On the heels of the successful run of “Into the Woods,” “The Crucible” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” Executive & Artistic Director Greg Thompson and his team are embarking on a journey through the parish of Chinquapin, Louisiana, with the beloved classic, “Steel Magnolias.”

“Steel Magnolias” gained a following with its big screen debut in 1989, directed by Herbert Ross and starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts, along with Tom Skerrit, Dylan McDermott, Kevin J. O’Connor and Sam Shepard.

The screenplay was based on Robert Harling’s 1987 play, which was based in part on his sister, Susan, who died of complications of diabetes. And if you’ve ever seen “Steel Magnolias,” then you know how Julia Roberts steals your heart in the role of Shelby.

Bringing the bittersweet drama/comedy to life in Ocala will be Melody Murphy as Truvy Jones, who owns the neighborhood beauty salon where she teases hair and her friends, dishes out warm-hearted wisdom and keeps abreast of all the latest gossip.

According to materials provided by The Civic, “The salon is a second home to her three Saturday-morning regulars. There’s grande dame Clairee Belcher (Fran Maurino), wealthy widow of the recently deceased mayor, who isn’t about to let a little tragedy hold her back from being fabulous. There’s also cranky old Louisa “Ouiser” Boudreaux (Martie McLean), the resident curmudgeon, who doesn’t hold back from anything. And then there’s M’Lynn Eatenton (Trinna Pye), whose full-time job seems to be worrying over, and squabbling with, her diabetic daughter, Shelby (Katarina Shaner). M’Lynn’s concerns are valid, but vivacious Shelby is determined to get her own way — no matter what.”

The play opens on an April morning when blushing bride Shelby has an appointment to get her hair done for her wedding that afternoon. It’s also a big day for shy young Annelle (Janéa King), who’s new in town, has a mysterious past and has just been hired as Truvy’s assistant.

“The newcomer soon becomes a part of the circle and by Christmas these six ladies have a bond stronger than Aqua Net. And when they need each other most, the women come together through seasons of abiding friendship, love, and support… always extra-hold,” according to The Civic.

The play is directed by Lynda Clark, who has more than 40 experience teaching character interpretation, dialect and more. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, she is affiliated with the Screen Actors Guild, North Carolina Arts Council Artists Roster, United Arts Council of Wake County Artists Roster, North Carolina Theatre Conference and Triangle Network of Theatres. She has a Master of Arts in theatre from Wake Forest University and a lengthy roster of acting roles.

“I have been cast in ‘Steel Magnolias’ at least a dozen times over the course of my career. I have played all the parts except Shelby and Annelle. But this is my first time directing this show, and it is a joy to be able to bring my own emotional understanding to the storytelling, and to be able to cast the roles with six amazing women,” Clark said.

“My job was not to cast individual roles: but to cast a group of actresses who would form relationships among themselves to make our Steel Mags family. This is a story about strong Southern women, who find their strength, grace and resilience from their love and reliance on each other. They all undergo a transformation during the course of the action, and the memory of Shelly’s optimism and unwavering hope against formidable odds is the glue that keeps them moving forward,” she added.

According to Clark, the lasting success of this play is that women everywhere so easily recognize themselves, their best friends and their own family members in the characters on stage.

“They sit in the audience laughing (or crying) from the instant identification — that’s just like me, or my friend,” she offers. “The more specific the memory is, the more universal it becomes. We are all Steel Magnolias in our own ways.”

Murphy, who is OCT’s director of marketing and public relations, also has the acting bug and this is not her first turn at playing Truvy.

“I have loved ‘Steel Magnolias’ since I saw the movie when it came out when I was 13. Then I discovered theatre in high school and spent years waiting for OCT to do the play again so I could audition. I was thrilled when I got to be in it in 2011, and I had a marvelous time. There was never any question in my mind that I’d audition again the next time it came around on the OCT stage. ‘Steel Magnolias’ feels like part of my soul and my identity,” she shared.

“Playing Truvy again feels like slipping into a comfortable old bathrobe. I’ve had her in my heart for 15 years now. Running her salon again just feels right. And every time I get to play a role associated with Dolly Parton, I think it is just good juju and the highest honor,” Murphy added.

As for why audiences still love this classic story, she feels its because the “characters are so real and authentic.”

“They all feel like women you know and love in real life. The story is so beloved and familiar by now — it’s been 39 years since the play premiered off-Broadway and 37 years since the movie. Its characters and catchphrases and quirky Southern world have become part of our culture,” she said.

And, Murphy noted, she is happy to see new, younger audiences discovering the magic behind the hairspray and snappy dialog.

“It’s been fun to see them experience it fresh for the first time. For those of us who do know it and were raised on it, it isn’t as much what happens as how it happens — the journey this cast takes you on with their unique chemistry. Every time you see a production of ‘Steel Magnolias,’ it’s a delightful discovery — what sassy way this character delivers a line or an iconic monologue, this or that squabble or story you can recite along with in your head, how deeply this particular salon set immerses you into the big-haired world of the ‘80s,” she explained.

“And there’s something so gripping about female friendships and mother-daughter relationships. No one ever stopped loving ‘Designing Women’ or ‘The Golden Girls,’ for example, and they’ve been in reruns for years. ‘Gilmore Girls,’ ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Desperate Housewives’… these female ensemble casts are long-beloved because we find ourselves and those we love in these archetypes. Most women can tell you exactly who they are in those casts — and in ‘Steel Magnolias,’” Murphy continued.

“And men love ‘Steel Magnolias’ too because it’s funny and heartfelt and relatable to anyone. It was written by a man. Robert Harling became a playwright when he wrote this story about his sister. Family, friendship, loss, humor, how we deal with life’s curveballs — they’re universal,” she added.

“The play teaches us that life is more meaningful with a family of friends. Truvy says, ‘Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion,’ and to me that’s the heart of ‘Steel Magnolias,” Murphy shared. “It is so resonant with audiences because it beautifully shows how we support each other in good times, hard times and the times when they overlap. Genuine friendship is a very deep and profound love, a solid foundation in our hearts. I don’t think you can have a truly good life without it.”

“To M’Lynn, family and friends are everything. To her children, she may seem overbearing, but it all comes from a place of love and care. They lean on her and yearn for her approval. She takes ‘pot shots’ at her husband, but they have a very healthy and loving relationship,” Trinna Pye said of her character. “For M’Lynn, being a mom is a job — a job she enjoys, but nevertheless, she has a job to keep them safe. She is the ultimate ‘mama bear.’”

As for how her own life may play into her role, Pye offered: “I am able to pull from my life experiences when it comes to the way M’Lynn deals with the loss of a child. I was never able to conceive, so we were going to adopt and after having a little girl call us mom and dad for over a month, her grandparents decided to take back custody. However, I do have two step kids, eight grandkids and a great grandbaby on the way. This helps me identify with the worry that comes with your children’s life choices. Playing M’Lynn, helps me to see my own mother through a different lens. She is the most loving and caring person I know, just like M’Lynn. And just like M’Lynn, she worries about her children’s well-being more than her own.”

“The women in Truvy’s beauty shop provide a place of refuge. They may go there to get their hair done, but they are also going there to get their hearts healed and their heads straight. The play is a shining example of how women should support and lift each other up. They all except and love each other regardless of their flaws and differences. The way it should be in our world today,” Pye added.

In the role of Shelby, Shaner, the theatre director at Howard Middle School, shines on stage.

“I admire Shelby’s ability to be present and avoid wallowing in her circumstances. I tend to be a ruminator, so it’s very freeing to play a character with such a positive outlook. I wouldn’t have made the same choices, but I can absolutely understand why she did. I admire her sweet strength,” Shaner shared.

Shelby obsesses with getting married and giving her husband a child. Shaner is not married and does not have children.

“I am blessed with 250 students who take up enough of my time. I would like to have children of my own someday, though,” she noted.

Of the bonds between mother and daughter, and the other women, Shaner said, “M’Lynn and Shelby love each other fiercely. M’Lynn raised her daughter to be like her — sweet and strong. Shelby has an absolute affinity for every single woman in Truvy’s shop. In my own personal opinion, I think her secret favorite is Miss Ouiser.” 

The play’s scenic designer is Kyle Ransbottom, the costume designer is Amanda Jones, the lighting designer is Cletus Karamon, the sound designers are Jazmine Whipple and Alexa Hall, the props designer is Tara Oathout and the stage manager is Nicole Thomas.

According to Thompson, The Civic has long been — much like Truvy’s beauty shop — a place for conversation, connection, laughter and sometimes tears. In its 75^th season, he noted, it remains a place where many people contribute time, energy and heart to something larger than themselves.

“Steel Magnolias” is on stage March 12-29, at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available through the box office in person, by phone at (352) 236-2274 or at ocalacivictheatre.com