Steel
Magnolias
February
22 - Mar 2, 2008
Featuring
Carole
Armistead
- (Ouiser) is old as dirt, so that gives you
some idea of how many years she has been doing community
theatre. However, this production is her debut with
Magic City Actors Theatre. She wears funny-looking
hats and likes digging in the dirt - proof of her
Southern roots. And she is a big supporter of the
Arts - in any form. One adoring husband, two charming
children, and five gracious grandchildren help balance
any of her "Ouiser" traits! For the record, this cast
and crew are incredibly gifted, and working in this
space with them is a bit of heaven. Serious play-goers
last saw Carole as Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey
Into Night and Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret.
Beth
Ashton
- (Annelle) was born in the UK, and after traversing
the planet on various escapades, finally moved to Birmingham
AL in the early summer of 2007. She immediately wanted
to be immersed in the exciting theatre developments
of the magic city. From the age of ten, Beth trained
extensively with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic
Arts, and the New Era Academy. With a love of music,
she performed with the Hampshire County Children and
Youth Choirs, until she reached the pinnacle of achievement,
and rapidly moved into teaching and facilitating. Beth
studied a national diploma (BTEC) in Performing Arts,
and a Bachelor of Arts in Drama, community theatre and
television at the University of Winchester, the ancient
British capital. Working in varied cultural environments,
Beth focuses on using the arts to create and develop
strong communities. Often working with underprivileged
citizens, people within the legal and justice system,
and loves to create expressive forums for political
change and growth.
Janelle
Cochrane
- (Clairee) After working on films such as WALK
THE LINE, DREAMER, TALLADEGA NIGHTS, RAY, and BIG FISH;
Janelle returns to her theatre roots where she began
her career. She is delighted for the opportunity to
appear with Magic City Actor's Theatre. Especially Steel
Magnolias, which she has performed in several times
over the years. She has acted and directed in regional
theatre throughout the east, with long stints at Flat
Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina.
It was during her eight seasons at Flat Rock that she
developed her love of Look Homeward Angel that
later culminated in playing Eliza Gant with her husband,
Jerry Sims, at Town and Gown Theatre and our director,
Leah Faulkner. In recent years she has successfully
battled breast cancer and subscribes to a motto of "Theatre
and a sense of humor will sustain you through almost
anything. Especially a sense of humor." With that anyone
can be a "steel magnolia."
Donna
Littlepage
- (M'Lynn) appeared 10 years ago this spring,
in her first community theatre production, Steel
Magnolias, in the role of Truvy. Since that time
she has had the great honor and pleasure to work with
many localtheatres including ACTA, Birmingham Festival
Theatre, Theatre Downtown, Theatre LJCC, South City
Theatre and Terrific New Theatre where she is on the
Board of Directors. Many thanks to Director Nancy Malone
and ACTA for giving her a start on the boards and for
Director Leah Faulkner and Magic City Actors Theatre
for giving her another opportunity to perform in this
much loved play in the role of M’Lynn. In ten
more years, she hopes someone will cast her again in
Steel Magnolias, this time as Claree! As always,
much love and thanks to Wayne, Jennifer and Hunter for
always supporting, if not quite understanding, her love
for the stage.
Suellen
Wilkins
- (Truvy) is a native of Trussville and a teacher
of Dramatic Arts at Minor High School. She received
her Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre/Acting & Directing
from the University of Southern Mississippi . Some of
her credits include the mother in Crazy for You,
the Queen in Cinderella and a Peck-a-dilly
Lady in Music Man on the Summerfest Stage;
Southern Playworks' Step Widows; the Right
Reverend Mother Mary Regena in Nunsense I, II &
Nuncrackers, the Queen in Once Upon A Mattress,
Miss Maple in The Butler Did It Again at the
ACTA theatre; Wife in Husband for Spare at
the New Orleans’ DramaRama - Performing Arts Festival
and Mrs. Bramson in Night Must Fall, the Agent
in I Hate Hamlet, & Hazel Dunn in Best
of Friends for the USM Summer Reparatory Theatre.
Rebecca
Yeager
- (Shelby) received her BA in Musical Theatre
from Birmingham-Southern College, where she is now employed
as an Admission Counselor. Rebecca has preformed such
roles as Granny in Into the Woods, Aricia in
Phaedra, The Stage Manager in Don’t
You Just Love Christmas, Kristine in Dollhouse,
Mrs. Drue, Slashy, and VOZ in Young Zombies in Love,
Catherine in Boston Marriage and The Mute in
The Fantastiks. She also enjoyed performing
in Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, A Midsummer Nights
Dream, The Importance of Being Earnest, All I Really
Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, and Children
of Eden. She would like to thank her husband Charles
for his constant love and belief in her dreams and talents
and Mom, Dad and Marla for their never-ending support
and level-headedness. Thanks to her teachers, directors,
and mentors, Jack and Suzanne Mann, Roy Hudson, Michael
Flowers, Alan Litsey, and Patti Manning for believing
in and constantly challenging her and guiding her along
this path, Leah and MCAT for this opportunity, and above
all, God, for the gift and joy of theatre.
