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September 21-October 1
Thu, fri, sat @ 7:30 PM
Sun @ 2:00 PM
Westwego Cultural Center
177 Sala Avenue | Westwego, LA
This tear-jerking comedy is set in a beauty salon in the fictional northwestern Louisiana parish of Chinquapin, based on the writer’s hometown of Natchitoches, Louisiana, and the death of his sister. The play spans three years in the lives of Truby, Shelby, Annelle, M’Lynn, and Clairee, whose heartaches and hilarious attitudes pay tribute to southern women’s survival skills. Experience the eternally relevant 1987 Broadway hit drama that became a beloved movie in 1989 starring Sally Field, Shirley MacClaine, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, and Darryl Hannah. With country fried quips such as “I’m not crazy—I’ve just been in a very bad mood for forty years,” “I have a strict policy that nobody cries alone in my presence,” and “Don’t try to get on my good side—I no longer have one” …you will cry, laugh, and be Southern comforted by these warm, wise women.
Click headshot for bio
Rachel Abbate (TRUVY) was last seen as Madame in the JPAS production of Cinderella. Her favorite musical theatre credits include Lily in The Secret Garden, Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown: The Musical, and The Witch in Into the Woods. Rachel has also enjoyed a career in opera performance, her most notable roles including Jo March in Adamo’s Little Women, the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Bradamante in Handel’s Alcina, and Mercédès in Bizet’s Carmen. When not on stage, she enjoys teaching musical theatre dance, tap, and acting classes as well as private voice lessons at Broadway Open Stage Studio in Destrehan. Rachel earned her B.M. in vocal performance from Louisiana State University and went on to earn her M.M. in vocal performance from Rice University in Houston, TX. www.rachelabbatemezzo.com.
TRUVY
Reagan Lincoln (M’LYNN EATENTON) is thrilled to play the iconic southern mama, and especially excited to play opposite her mom, Marcia Cassanova, whom she hasn’t shared the stage with in over 10 years! Most recently she was seen in the JPAS productions Misery (Annie Wilkes) and God of Carnage (Annette). She has been an educator for 20 years and currently works for the Louisiana Department of Education in Data Strategy and Governance. Before becoming an educator, you may have seen her as Chip and Dale at Disney World or onstage in the Gak Kitchen at Nickelodeon Studios. Some of her favorite directing credits include: The Music Man (EHC), It’s a Wonderful Life (EHC), and Godspell (EHC). Some of her favorite roles include Annette in God of Carnage (JPAS), Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables, Poopay in Communicating Doors (SLT), Beverly in The Shadow Box (ULM), Jessie Mae in The Trip to Bountiful (SLT), and Laura in Laura (EHC) where she co-starred with her husband, Eric Lincoln.
M’LYNN EATENTON
Avery Colle (ANNELLE DUPY-DESOTO) is very excited to be joining the cast of Steel Magnolias as both costume designer and cast member. She has been working in costume design for JPAS’ recent productions Misery, Murder on the Orient Express, Holiday Inn, Cinderella, and Sweet Potato Queens. She recently co-founded her own theatre production company, Pomegranate Playhouse.
ANNELLE DUPY-DESOTO
Rachel Looney (SHELBY EATENTON-LATCHERIE) is excited to return to JPAS! Previous JPAS credits include: Cinderella (Ella), The Rocky Horror Show (Janet Weiss), How to Kill a Diva (Abelinda). Other roles include The Music Man (Marian Paroo) at Tulane Summer Lyric & Rivertown, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (Chan Parker) at New Orleans Opera, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Phoebe) at Le Petit Theatre, and Rameau’s Pygmalion (La statue animée) at New Orleans Opera. Catch her on Apple TV’s “Blackbird”, Amazon’s “Daisy Jones & the Six”, and Disney’s “Secrets of Sulphur Springs”. She is a graduate of Louisiana State University and Loyola University New Orleans. rachellooneysoprano.com.
SHELBY EATENTON -
LATCHERIE
Marcia Cassanova (CLAIREE BELCHER), a New Orleans native now living in Shreveport, is making her first appearance at JPAS. She is so happy to be sharing the stage again with her daughter Reagan Lincoln. Marcia won a Times Drama Award for Best Supporting Actress at Shreveport Little Theatre as Ouiser in Steel Magnolias. She is very excited to be playing Clairee in this production. Favorite leading roles are Driving Miss Daisy, Ann Landers and Erma Bombeck in two one-woman plays, Over the River and Through the Woods, Communicating Doors, The Subject Was Roses, and Breakfast With Les and Bess. She has also played the maid in every theatre in Shreveport! A special thanks is to Eric Lincoln, the son of her heart, for putting up with his adoring mother-in-law all summer. She is so grateful for the love and support of Gene, her wonderful husband of 54 years.
CLAIREE BELCHER
JANET SHEA (Ouiser Boudreaux) is marking her 69th year in local theater. She has acted in over 300 productions including dramas, comedies, musicals, dinner theater, and operas, and has won awards for both her acting and her directing. She has performed in Paris, Moscow, and several U. S. states as well. Her directing work at JPAS includes Deathtrap, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Amadeus, A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, Mircale on 34th Street, several productions with JPAS Theatre Kids. Some of her favorite roles over the years include Mrs. Lovett, Mrs. Potts, Miss Daisy, Emily Dickinson, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, Blanche Dubois, Googie Gomez, Mary Tyrone, Flo Goforth, Queen Gertrude, and many, many others. She has taught theater classes at NOCCA, U.N.O, and Loyola University. She is ever grateful to her family and all the directors, producers, and actors she has worked with during her long career. God bless them all.
Ouiser Boudreaux
