Robert Harling
Director
Sheila McCarthy
Set Designer Douglas Paraschuk
Costume Designer Jennifer Wonnacott
Stage Manager Grace Batten
Lighting Designer Siobhán Sleath
Assistant Stage Manager May Nemat Allah
Assistant Director Susan A. Lock
The Cast (in alphabetical order)
Lauren Bowler
Ellen Denny
Sharon Heldt
Mary Pitt
Karen Wood
Blythe Wilson
Originally produced by the W.P.A. Theatre, New York City, 1987. (Kyle Renick, Artistic Director)
“Steel Magnolias” is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. (www.dramatists.com)
The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.
Season Media Sponsor
Production Sponsor
Design Sponsor
Media Sponsors
Setting: Chinquapin, Louisiana 1986
the cast
(in alphabetical order)
Lauren Bowler (Anelle Dupuy-Desoto)
Drayton Entertainment: Out of Order, Sound of Music, Rock of Ages, Bittergirl The Musical. Other Theatre (selected): Myth of the Ostrich, Ale Wives, The Tracks (Here For Now Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar (Western Canada Theatre); One Man Two Guvnors, Gypsy, King Charles III, Jitters, Blood Brothers, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Arts Club Theatre); Matilda (RMTC/Citadel Theatre); Chelsea Hotel (Firehall Arts Centre). Upcoming: Jesus Christ Superstar (Thousand Islands Playhouse). Lauren co-owns and co-founded the Great Wall Tea Co. in 2010. She is euphoric to be reunited on this project with her idol Sheila, and to be working with such a talented and intimidating (in the best way possible) group of gals.
Ellen Denny (Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie)
Drayton Entertainment: Mary’s Wedding, Brighton Beach Memoirs. Other Theatre (selected): Maria in Sound of Music (Thousand Islands Playhouse); Red Velvet (Crow’s Theatre); Life After (Canadian Stage / Musical Stage); Eliza in My Fair Lady (Capitol Theatre Port Hope); Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike (Manitoba Theatre Centre / Mirvish); Belle in Beauty and the Beast (Neptune Theatre); Anne in Anne & Gilbert (National Arts Centre); The Penelopiad (Citadel Theatre). Also a playwright, Ellen’s work has been produced by Neptune Theatre, The Guild Charlottetown, and Here For Now Theatre, and has streamed on STRATFEST@HOME. Ellen is grateful to perform with this stellar all-female cast!
Sharon Heldt (Truvy Jones)
Drayton Entertainment: Mom’s The Word. Other Theatre (selected): Lunenburg (Lighthouse Festival Theatre); The Ladies Foursome (Upper Canada, Theatre Orangeville, OOH); The Ginkgo Tree (Blyth Festival); DINK (Factory Theatre); The Catering Queen (Tarragon Theatre); The Long Weekend & Real Estate (Theatre Aquarius); Twelfth Night (Banff); Emerald City (MTC); Top Gun! The Musical (47th St. Theatre NYC); two seasons with Stratford Festival. Film/TV: The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu); Sex/Life (Netflix); One More Before You Go (ARC Films); Brother (EVV Inc.). Happy to be back at Drayton! Grateful to the women in our lives that lift us up along the way. Big hugs to Macayla, Skylar and my love, Steve. www.sharonheldt.com
Mary Pitt (Clairee Belcher)
Drayton Entertainment: The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, It Runs in the Family. Other Theatre (selected): Into the Woods (Canadian Stage & Neptune Theatre); Man of La Mancha, The Miracle Worker, Gypsy (Stratford Festival); Caroline or Change (Acting Up Stage); Bingo Ladies (Port Stanley Festival Theatre & Hudson Village Playhouse); A Second Helping (Victoria Playhouse); Florence Foster Jenkins in Souvenir (Gravenhurst Opera House); Little Women, Too Close to Home, The Bluff (Theatre Orangeville); Quiet! I’m Talking (Sudbury Theatre Centre). Mary also performs in feature films and television. She is thrilled to be back with Drayton Entertainment performing in Steel Magnolias.
Karen Wood (Ouiser Boudreaux)
Drayton Entertainment: Halfway There, Sweet Delilah Swim Club, All Shook Up, Ladies Foursome, Too Many Cooks, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Perfect Wedding, See How They Run, Oliver!, Damn Yankees, Vaudeville. Other Theatre: Danny and Delilah (Foster Festival); The Birds and the Bees (Lighthouse/STC); James and the Giant Peach (YPT); Addams Family (Neptune Theatre). Karen was directed by George F. Walker in his play The Ravine (LTP). Karen spent eight seasons at the Stratford Festival and 10 seasons at the Shaw Festival. She was dramatic coach at the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy.
Blythe Wilson (M’Lynn Eatenton)
Drayton Entertainment: Evita, The Prom, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia!, Sound of Music, All Shook Up. Other Theatre: Into the Woods (TIFT); Mary Poppins (Broadway/ US Tour); Sound of Music, Mamma Mia!, Man of La Mancha (Mirvish); Billy Elliot, Guys and Dolls, Oliver!, Oklahoma! (Stratford Festival); A Christmas Carol (Grand Theatre); The Three Musketeers (Chicago Shakespeare); 25th Annual...Spelling Bee (Connecticut Rep); Mystery of Edwin Drood, Happy End (Shaw Festival); The Last Five Years (Can Stage); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with Donny Osmond (Chicago Theatre); Evita, Mary Poppins (Theatre Calgary/Citadel). Film/TV: The Handmaid’s Tale (MGM).
the creative team
Sheila McCarthy (Director)
Drayton Theatre: Sweet Delilah Swim Club (Director). Other Theatre: Worked across Canada in many theatres including Stratford and Shaw, directing and acting in over a hundred productions. Recipient of two Dora Major Moore Awards as well as two Canadian Screen Awards and two Gemini awards for Best Actress. Film/TV (selected): Die Hard 2, The Day After Tomorrow, Stepping Out, Little Mosque On The Prairie, I’ve Heard The Mermaids Singing, Cardinals (ACTRA Award for Best Actress), and Oscar-winning Women Talking. Upcoming films include Dancing On An Elephant, Voices Of The Mother, The Well, and Love Is The Monster. Thrilled to be back at Drayton Entertainment directing the Magnolia cast!
Douglas Paraschuk (Set Designer)*
Drayton Entertainment (selected): Jersey Boys, Fiddler on the Roof, American Son, The Music Man, South Pacific, Dial M for Murder. Over 30 productions for the Stratford Festival. Director of Design and Associate Director for the UAE Golden Jubilee Celebration (2021) Expo, Dubai. Designer for Stephen Fry’s Mythos (Shaw Festival, Edinburgh Festival, English National Tour). Director of Design for the Calgary Stampede Grandstand show (2014-23). Director of Design for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics opening, medals, and closing ceremonies. Director of Design for the opening and closing ceremonies for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. For over 35 years, Doug has designed for television, theatre, film, opera, ballet, and touring productions and has created hundreds of productions in Canada, the United States, Asia, and Europe.
Jennifer Wonnacott (Costume Designer)
Drayton Entertainment: A Few Good Men, On Golden Pond, Twelve Angry Men. With more than 20 years’ experience in theatre wardrobe production, Jennie is thrilled to be using her costume knowledge for design. Past productions included shows with The Stratford Festival, Mirvish Productions, Theatre Aquarius, and others. Jennie is the winner of the 2016 Pauline McGibbon Award from the Ontario Arts Council. Many thanks to the wardrobe department for giving their confidence in this endeavour, and to family and friends for their support.
Siobhán Sleath (Lighting Designer)*
Drayton Entertainment: The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, Sexy Laundry, The Ladies Foursome, The Men’s Foursome, It Runs in the Family, Unnecessary Farce. Other Theatre: Witness for the Prosecution, Horse and His Boy, Wilde Tales (Shaw Festival); The Hobbit (Adirondack Theatre Festival); Ring of Fire, Steel City Gangster (Theatre Aquarius); Ann (Arkansas Rep Theater); Figaro’s Wedding (Against the Grain); The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Alberta Theatre Projects); Wow Factor: A Cinderella Story (Canadian Opera Company); Brighton Beach Memoirs (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company). For more information: www.siobhansleathdesign.com.
Susan A. Lock (Assistant Director)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other Theatre: Directing: Christmas Day At the Roadside Diner (Women At Play(s) Festival 6); Missing You (Women At Play(s) Festival 5); Queenie’s Castle (Women At Play(s) Festival 4); Basket Day (Storefront Theatre); Out At Sea (Divadlo Ano). Acting: On the Other Side of the World (Harley Dog Productions); Eating Pomegranates Naked (Call Me Scotty Productions); TheThree Musketeers in Czech (Studio Ypsilon). Film/TV: Tanya in Shelved (CTV). Susan A. Lock graduated with a Czech Masters from The Theatre Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Thank you to Sheila, Brenley and Alex for this opportunity! I’m forever grateful!
Grace Batten (Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: The New Canadian Curling Club. Other Theatre (selected): Beneath Springhill, Same Time, Next Year, The 39 Steps, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Never Not Once, Where You Are; three years as Entertainment Technician for Carnival Cruise Lines. Since graduating from the University of Windsor School of Dramatic Art, Grace has worked at venues across North America, from Banff to Belize, on land and at sea. When she isn’t working, she can usually be found knitting or playing with random dogs. @woolngrace
May Nemat Allah (Assistant Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other Theatre: Apprentice Stage Manager for Women of the Fur Trade, Death and the King’s Horseman (Stratford Festival); Stage Manager for Antigonick, Everything Gone, Everything Shone, Assistant Stage Manager for Maybe Not Tomorrow, Cabaret (National Theatre School of Canada); Assistant Production Manager for carried away on the crest of a wave, Stage Manager for The Seagull (University of Waterloo). Training: National Theatre School of Canada and the University of Waterloo. Endless love and gratitude to my family and friends!
ADMINISTRATION
Artistic Director & CEO
Alex Mustakas
Executive Director
Steven Karcher
Associate Artistic Director
David Connolly
Director of Audience Services
Ellen Berwick
Director of Facilities
Alan Card
Director of Finance
Siobhan Lovejoy
Director of Human Resources
Natasha Hopf
Director of Marketing & Development
Jonathan Randall
Director of Production
Dave Horner
Accounting Clerk
Joanne Labrecque
Ticketing & Systems Specialist
Randi Perriam
ARTISTIC
Artistic Administrator
Brenley Charkow
Artistic Administrative Assistant
Stephanie Reeve
AUDIENCE SERVICES
Audience Services Manager
Gary Good
Box Office Manager
Laurie Castro
Box Office Supervisor
Paige Corriveau
AUDIO
Head of Audio
Allan McMillan
Audio Assistant
Nicholas Wadel-Tucotte
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
Development Manager
Lindsay Bellaire
Group, Events & Rentals
Manager
Karen De iuliis
Community Engagement
Specialist
Danielle Dixon
Marketing & Development
Associate
Lia Tunstall
PRODUCTION
Production Coordinator
Jeff JohnstonCollins
Technical Directors
Lyle Franklin
Jeff JohnstonCollins
Austin Wilson
Head of Electrics
Lyle Franklin
Head of Construction
Rob Clarke
Assistant Head of Construction
Jenna Barry
Lead Carpenter
Lindsey Woelfle
Carpenters
John Bigelow
John Graham
Toofik Boulus
Ajae Whittaker
House Technicians
Glenn Beckner
Richard McLeod
Naomi Damasco
Matthew Canning
Katrina Kosa
Production Administrator
Caitlyn Hill
PROPS
Head of Props
Kat Theriault
Senior Props Builder
Madeline Samms
Junior Props Builder
Josiah Bosse
Daijah Clement-Day
SCE NIC PAINT
Senior Scenic Painters
Frank Crickmore
Kristen McCormick
WARDROBE
Head of Wardrobe
Jenine Kroeplin
Assistant Head of Wardrobe
Jessica Pembleton
Cutter
Rachel Berchtold
First Hand
Joanna Lee
Wardrobe Supervisor
Julia Nelham
Wig Stylist
Anne May
Rich Halliday FOR STEEL MAGNOLIAS
Audio Coordinator
Anna-Maria Grant
Dresser
Sharon Bell
Stitchers
Amanda Kennedy
Heather McKenzie
Wardrobe Maintenance
Sharon Bell
KING’S WHARF THEATRE
Facility Manager
Ashley Legedza
House Manager
Brynne Davenport
House Technician
El D’Almada
Bartender
Ashley Melnyk
Box Office Staff
Ashlyn Black
Ethan Marchand
Fiona Smithyes
Custodian
Mary DuMoulin
DRAYTON ENTERTAINMENT
YOUTH ACADEMY
Director of Education
David Connolly
General Manager
Natasha Hopf
Marketing & Development
Associate
Christian Rose
Arts Administrator Assistant
Hanna Freitas
Administrative Intern
Simon Zenker
