A sad part of the life of any theater is saying “good-bye” to performers as they leave the area or go off to college. Welcoming new talent who have never acted on your stage before is joyous part of any production. The Oswego Players’ August production of “Steel Magnolias” is an example of both!
“Steel Magnolias” written by Robert Harling and directed by Kevin Colvin, will be performed August 14th – 16th and 21st – 23rd at the Frances Marion Brown Theater near Fort Ontario in Oswego, NY.
Ramonda Huff and Teagan Brown play the younger cast members in this American classic. Huff performs as Shelby, the spirited, newly married young woman determined to live life on her own, while Brown performs as Annelle, the shy nervous young assistant who goes through a significant personal transformation during the play.
Huff, who is a student at the University of Buffalo, has been performing with various arts organizations since she was six years old. “I grew up here,” she said, “and I have been involved in every aspect of theater from performing to writing to backstage crew both with the Oswego Homeschool program and with Oswego Players.” The day after the show closes, she moves full time to Buffalo, and our local community will lose her talent for at least the next few years.
Meanwhile, Brown is a North Syracuse native who has spent the last few years in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina before relocating back to Syracuse a couple of weeks ago. “I loved the South – both the hospitality and the accents,” she said. “I always try to find a coffee shop when I move so I can really immerse myself in the local culture. My role as Annabelle is a bit like my personal experiences – moving to a new place and not being sure where I fit in. And doing my first show with the Oswego Players as Annabelle is a dream come true!”
The chemistry between these two young performers is obvious. “The fact that Annabelle is new to town and can connect on a personal level to Shelby totally reflects their relationship,” director Colvin said. “Having these two talented performers on stage will really delight audiences. Saying goodbye to Ramonda and hello to Teagan is a great way to roll out this show.”
Performance dates and times for “Steel Magnolias” are 7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays August 14th, 15th, 21st and 22nd with Sunday matinees at 2pm on August 16th and 23rd.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors/students and can be secured through oswegoplayers.org or by calling the box office on (315) 343-5138.
“Steel Magnolias” is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection (www.dramatists.com).
The Oswego Players acknowledges the generous financial contributions of Chiasson’s Heating and Air Conditioning.
(Pictured back to front): Teagan Brown as Annelle and Ramonda Huff as Shelby rehearse hair styling techniques for their roles in “Steel Magnolias”. This classic play will be performed on August 14th, 15th, 16th and August 21st, 22nd, 23rd at the Frances Marion Brown Theater near Fort Ontario Park in Oswego, NY.