UWF Theatre presents “Steel Magnolias”

The University of West Florida Department of Theatre presents "Steel Magnolias." Performances will be held Oct. 10-12 and Oct. 17-19 with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. All performances will take place in the Mainstage Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, on the Pensacola campus.

A heartfelt modern classic, "Steel Magnolias" by Robert Harling explores a rich culture of friendship through the lens of a small town. Join the women of Chinquapin, Louisiana, at Truvy's hair salon for your weekly dose of love, laughter and tears in this timeless dramatic comedy. Truvy, the owner and center for all news and gossip in town; Clairee Belcher, former first lady of Chinquapin; Ouiser Boudreaux, the town's wealthy old bitty who always has an opinion that must be shared; Annelle, the shy and quiet junior hairdresser; M'Lynn, a charming career woman; and Shelby, her daughter, gain so much more than a fresh blow-dry at Truvy's Beauty Spot each week. "Steel Magnolias" illustrates the bonds of womanhood, "delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel" as they navigate the joys and sorrows of life. This production contains adult themes and situations and may not be suitable for all audiences.

Marci Duncan leads the team as director of this production. In addition to being an accomplished actress and director, she serves as the director of the BFA acting program and an assistant professor of acting at UWF. Duncan is currently in her 18th year of teaching and continues to be an active professional, performing both on stage and on screen. Her credits include professional camera appearances for Disney, Verizon Wireless, Neaxium Films and Lifetime TV. Her credits include roles in the Lifetime TV Network movie "Life is not a Fairytale: Fantasia Barrino Story" and the urban drama "Just Another Day." Most recently, Duncan was featured in the NBC comedy "Young Rock," and the one-woman show "Florida Girls" at Emerald Coast Theatre Company, as well as directed "The Mountaintop" and James Webb's award-winning play "The Contract" at Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, Virginia. As a playwright and actor, Duncan tours frequently in her award-winning original play "DISSONANCE." In addition to her performing and directing work, Duncan also provides actor coaching through her acting studio, Artists at Play. Duncan currently chairs the Southeastern Theatre Conference Auditions Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Florida A&M University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Florida.

Joining Duncan on the creative team is Harlan D. Penn (scenic designer) as well as UWF students Annaleese Frasier (costume designer), Caroline Becker (wig & makeup designer), NyLa Parker (lighting designer) and Sean Travis (sound designer).

Harlan D. Penn is a proud graduate of Florida A&M University and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The South Florida native has designed for off-Broadway, Off Off Broadway, cable television, regional theatre and educational theatre. In addition, Penn has served as an art director and assistant art director for film & television productions for Netflix, Hulu, ABC/Disney, NBC, Hallmark Movie Channel, CBS and Turner Broadcasting. Theatre design credits include: "For Colored Girls," "Blues for an Alabama Sky," "On Striver's Row," "Flyin' West," "Dreamgirls," "Seven Guitars," "Gem of the Ocean," "Jitney," "Radio Golf," "King Hedley II," "Chained Dog," "Drumline Live" (International Tour), "The Mighty Gents," "Camp Logan," "Buried Child," "Looking," "Catch Me If You Can," and "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby" to name a few. Film/TV productions include "Go Friended Me," "For Life," "Girls 5Eva," "The Last O.G.," "Saturday Night Live," "Raising Kanan," "FBI: Most Wanted," "Fire Island," "The Noel Diary," "Rise," "Madame Secretary," "Katy Keene," and "Roland Martin Unfiltered." Penn has served as assistant scenic designer to scenic designer Felix E. Cochren on productions at The McCarter Theatre, Geva Theatre, Syracuse Stage, The Goodman Theatre, Virginia Stage Company and The Cleveland Playhouse and is also a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and IASTE/United Scenic Artist Local 829 in the scenic design and scenic art category. In addition, Harlan made his operatic design debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago's world premiere production of "Factotum" (hip-hop opera) in January 2023. Mr. Penn is currently an assistant professor of scenic design at York College in Jamaica, Queens, NY.

General admission ticket prices are $20 per person for adults, $16 per person for senior citizens and active military, $14 per person for non-UWF students and UWF faculty and staff, and $7 for high school students. All paid ticket purchases are subject to a $2 service fee. UWF students are admitted free with their Nautilus cards. Tickets can be purchased at the CFPA Box Office, Building 82, by calling 850.857.6285 or online at uwf.edu/tickets.